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    Home » Dessert » Easy Banana Bars Recipe

    Easy Banana Bars Recipe

    Published: Mar 10, 2023 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These super easy banana bars are in my Top 3 favorite dessert recipes ever. They are super delicious, beyond easy to make and the best way to use up ripe bananas!

    A bite taken out of a moist banana bar with frosting on top.

    Original post: January 2016 | Updated: March 2023

    Why This Recipe Works

    • Every single time I make a batch of these delicious banana bars, the get devoured.
    • This recipe produces the most moist banana bars that are such a delicious treat, with the best flavor you can imagine.
    • The frosting could be its own delicious dessert.
    • These fluffy banana bars are such an easy recipe, requiring just a few simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand.
    • These are the best banana bars you’ll ever taste and this is such a perfect way to use up ripe bananas.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Butter – Either salted or unsalted butter may be used in this recipe.

    Brown sugar – Use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for both the bars and the frosting.

    Egg – Allow the egg to sit at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes before adding it to the mixing bowl.

    Bananas – Mash the bananas before adding them to the mixing bowl. For best results, use ripe bananas that are just slightly past their prime.

    Maple syrup – This ingredient is the star of the show, in my opinion! Use real maple syrup whenever possible.

    How To Make Easy Banana Bars

    Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter, light brown sugar, egg and vanilla.

    Mix on medium speed using an electric hand mixer until creamy.

    Baking ingredients in three separate colorful mixing bowls.

    Step 2

    In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix well and gradually add to batter. Mix until incorporated. Add 2 mashed ripe bananas and stir until combined. Pour into prepared baking dish.

    Spread the batter evenly in the pan with a spatula and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top of the bars should be golden brown. Let cool completely.

    Top view of baked banana bars sitting next to a bowl of prepared frosting.

    Step 3

    While the bars are baking and cooling, prepare the maple browned butter frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Mix well. Gradually pour in the maple syrup while mixing.

    Beat on medium-high speed until frosting is fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes.

    Once the bars have cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Refrigerate frosted banana bars until ready to serve and cut into small squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    Recipe Notes

    • Half of the brown sugar in the bars can be replaced with granulated sugar, if desired.
    • Make chocolate chip banana bars by adding 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips to the batter or by sprinkling mini chocolate chips over the top of the frosting.
    • 1/2 cup peanut butter would be a delicious addition to the batter!
    • Add up to 1/2 cup sour cream to the batter for a silky smooth and enhanced flavor.
    • Let both butter and egg sit at room temperature for 30 minutes if at all possible.
    • Make a double batch of the bars and frost the second batch with this irresistible cream cheese frosting.

    What To Make With Ripe Bananas

    • Throw them in a blender along with ice, milk and peanut butter to create a delicious peanut butter banana smoothie.
    • This Banana Bread recipe is tried, tested, delicious and EASY! Great way to use up those ripe bananas staring at you from your counter!
    • Banana Muffins are a delicious way to use up ripe bananas. You will love the crumb topping with brown sugar as an afternoon treat on these tender muffins. So tasty you may want to find friends to send them too!
    • Pumpkin AND bananas join forces in this tasty Pumpkin Banana Bread! This is a great fall treat and your house has never smelled so good.
    • Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies – Adding bananas to Chocolate Chip Cookies is a great way to use up ripe bananas! This is one of my favorite banana desserts to make using leftover bananas.
    • Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is my favorite delicious twist on Banana Bread! Cream cheese makes EVERYTHING better.
    Top view of frosted banana bars on a serving plate next to a bunch of bananas.

    How To Store Bananas

    Leave bananas in their cute little bunches on the counter or hanging from a banana tree. Keeping them at room temperature is optimal when they are not yet past their prime.

    Some grocery stores will do this for you, but if you wish to extend the life of the banana wrap the stems in plastic wrap.

    Once they start to show signs of ripeness (brown or even black spots), throw them into the fridge if you know you’ll be using them in a recipe in the next few days.

    How Long Do Bananas Last in the Fridge

    When stored in the fridge, bananas will stay fresh for up to 7 days. Typically, bananas are stored at room temperature.

    Over Ripe vs Rotten Bananas

    Overripe bananas and rotten bananas have similarities, but there are some ways to differentiate between the two.

    Over-ripe bananas feel soft when gently squeeze and may have brown spots on the peel. At this stage, they are perfect for baking or making smoothies, as they are sweet and easy to mash.

    Rotten bananas have a strong and unpleasant odor. The might have a dark brown or black appearance, and the fruit inside is very mushy and discolored. Toss rotten brown bananas immediately in order to avoid food poisioning.

    If you don’t have a plan in the near future for using ripe bananas, put them in the freezer. Before you freeze them, it is ideal to remove them from the peel first. It also works to just toss the entire fruit in the freezer, if you don’t want to mess with a peel at this point.

    When you are ready to use them in a recipe, allow them to thaw completely before mashing and adding them to your next batch of baked goods.

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    If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

    Easy Banana Bars with Maple Brown Butter Frosting

    These super easy banana bars are in my Top 3 favorite dessert recipes ever. They are super delicious, beyond easy to make and the best way to use up ripe bananas!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 436kcal
    Author: Megan Porta

    Ingredients

    BARS

    • 1/2 cup butter softened
    • 1 cup light brown sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 2 bananas mashed

    FROSTING

    • 1/2 cup butter softened
    • 2 cups powdered sugar
    • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup real maple syrup

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside. Prepare the bars. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, light brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix until creamy.
      1/2 cup butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 egg, 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix well and gradually add to batter. Mix until incorporated. Add mashed bananas and stir until combined. Pour into prepared baking dish. Spread batter evenly in pan with a spatula and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.
      1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 bananas
    • While the bars are baking, prepare the frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, dark brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Mix well. Gradually pour in the maple syrup while mixing. Mix on medium speed until frosting is fluffy and smooth.
      1/2 cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup real maple syrup
    • When bars are cooled, spread frosting evenly over the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve and cut into small squares. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    • Half of the brown sugar in the bars can be replaced with granulated sugar, if desired.
    • Make chocolate chip banana bars by adding 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips to the batter or by sprinkling mini chocolate chips over the top of the frosting.
    • 1/2 cup peanut butter would be a delicious addition to the batter!
    • Add up to 1/2 cup sour cream to the batter for a silky smooth and enhanced flavor.
    • Let both butter and egg sit at room temperature for 30 minutes if at all possible.
    • Make a double batch of the bars and frost the second batch with this irresistible cream cheese frosting.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 462mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Schoen

      December 01, 2020 at 1:34 pm

      5 stars
      These bars are absolutely delicious! I was looking for a banana bars recipe that didn’t use cream cheese frosting and came across this recipe. They are easy to mix up (I creamed together the butter and brown sugar before adding the other wet ingredients), bake for exactly the time suggested and the frosting is sugary, maple-whipped deliciousness. I doubled the recipe and brought one pan to a friend’s house for a small gathering and left the other one home for my husband and 3 kids. They got rave reviews from both groups!

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        December 02, 2020 at 10:53 pm

        I’m glad you gave it a try and it was enjoyed! Thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    2. Gina

      July 09, 2020 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      These were great! I added a couple of handfuls of chocolate chips and made a cream cheese version of the maple icing, but the recipe itself worked beautifully.

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        July 10, 2020 at 2:39 am

        The chocolate chips are a great addition! Never go wrong with cream cheese icing either. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Varun

      July 07, 2020 at 6:38 am

      5 stars
      It really looks delicious.

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        July 09, 2020 at 2:48 am

        I assure you, they are! Try it – you won’t be sad!

        Reply
    4. Meg | Meg is Well

      March 03, 2017 at 4:26 am

      Geriatric Banana Nursing Home ?!!! That’s the perfect way to describe my banana situation on a weekly basis. But I use it as an excuse to freeze big batches of them for purely baking purposes-like these! I’ve never had or heard of banana bars they look absolutely delicious!

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        March 04, 2017 at 4:11 pm

        I love freezing bananas, too, Meg! It’s perfect for times when I just NEED some delicious Banana Bars. I hope you try these….they are one of my favorite desserts of all time. Sooooo good! Enjoy!
        Megan

        Reply
    5. Feisty Eats

      January 17, 2016 at 9:08 pm

      These look awesome. I’m always looking for new banana recipes — I’ll have to give this one a try!

      Reply

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