Brown Butter Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ~2 cups mashed ripe bananas (from 4-5 bananas)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brown the Butter

First, melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. A light-colored pan lets you see the color change.

Keep swirling the pan as the butter melts. It will foam up, then the foam will subside.

Watch for brown specks to form at the bottom and for the butter to smell nutty. This happens quickly. As soon as you see this, pull it from the heat and pour it into a large bowl to cool.

Combine the Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

To the bowl with the cooled brown butter, add the packed light brown sugar and whisk to combine.

Add the mashed bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is well combined.

In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold everything together until just combined. Don’t overmix; a few lumps are fine.

Bake the Bread

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

Bake for ~55-65 minutes. At the 55-minute mark, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, give it another 5-10 minutes.

If the top starts to get too dark before the center is cooked, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.

Let It Cool Completely

Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.

It’s important to let it cool completely before slicing. The texture sets up as it cools. This bread is even better the next day.

Brown Butter Banana Bread

Most banana bread is just sweet and mushy. The brown butter is what makes this one different; it adds a nutty depth that changes the whole profile. Using Greek yogurt also gives it an almost custardy texture inside.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Active Time55 minutes mins

Cooling Time2 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Pin Recipe Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ~2 cups mashed ripe bananas from 4-5 bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally.
• Once the butter foams and brown specks form at the bottom with a nutty aroma, immediately remove from the heat.
• Pour the browned butter into a large bowl to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
• Whisk the cooled brown butter with the brown sugar in the large bowl.
• Add the mashed bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and whisk until combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, leaving a few lumps.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• If the top browns too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
• Let the bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

The bread’s texture improves after resting overnight.