Description
Made with four overripe bananas, nutty browned butter, dark brown sugar, and full-fat sour cream, this ultra-moist banana bread bakes into a tall, tender bakery loaf.
Ingredients
Scale
Brown Butter Sour Cream Banana Loaf
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 medium heavily speckled bananas)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon coarse turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Prep oven and brown the butter: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch metal loaf pan and line with a parchment paper sling. In a light-colored skillet over medium heat, melt the 1/2 cup (113g) butter, swirling for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown milk-solid specks form and smell nutty. Pour into a large glass mixing bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the wet ingredients: Add the mashed ripe bananas, dark brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract to the cooled brown butter; whisk vigorously until smooth and blended.
- Fold in dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt on top of the wet mixture. Use a silicone spatula to fold gently just until no dry flour streaks remain (fold in optional walnuts if using).
- Transfer to loaf pan: Scrape the batter into the prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle evenly with the coarse turbinado sugar.
- Bake with foil tent: Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 55 to 60 minutes, loosely tenting the top with aluminum foil at the 40-minute mark to prevent over-browning, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (internal temp 200°F/93°C).
- Cool and slice: Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then lift the loaf out using the parchment overhang and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing into thick slabs.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Individual slices or the whole loaf freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Special Tools: 9×5-Inch Metal Loaf Pan | Parchment Paper | Skillet | Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula | Wire Cooling Rack.
- Ripening Bananas Fast: If your bananas are still yellow, bake them unpeeled on a sheet pan at 300°F (149°C) for 15 to 18 minutes until the skins turn glossy black and the fruit inside is sweet and soft; cool before mashing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 58 minutes
- Category: Breakfast / Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thick slice
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 66mg