Brownies & Banana Bars (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Banana Bread Brownies Base
01 -
6 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
02 -
1 cup of walnuts, raw and halved
03 -
1 cup of mashed bananas (about 3 medium ones)
04 -
⅔ cup of honey
05 -
1 large egg
06 -
⅓ cup of either light or dark brown sugar
07 -
2 teaspoons of vanilla (pure extract)
08 -
¾ cup of regular all-purpose flour
09 -
1 teaspoon of baking powder
10 -
¾ cup white whole wheat flour
11 -
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
12 -
½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder
13 -
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
→ Brown Butter Frosting
14 -
6 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
15 -
2 tablespoons of heavy cream, half-and-half, or another milk of your choice
16 -
1 and ½ cups of powdered sugar
17 -
1 teaspoon of vanilla (pure extract)
# Instructions:
01 -
Turn your oven on to 350°F. Use parchment paper to cover an 8×8 pan, leaving some overhang on opposite edges so you can lift the brownies later, and spray it with cooking spray. Spread the walnut halves on a baking sheet with a rim and bake them for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway until they smell toasty. Chop them into smaller pieces once cooled.
02 -
In a big bowl, mash up the bananas. In a light-colored pan, heat butter on medium-low until it becomes golden brown (this might take about 3-5 minutes). It should smell nutty. Quickly add the browned butter to the bananas. Stir in the honey and sugar until it’s all smooth. Let that cool off a bit so it’s lukewarm, then whisk in the egg and vanilla.
03 -
In another mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Gently fold this mixture into the wet banana mixture until you don’t see any more flour. Toss in the chopped nuts and fold those in too. Pour everything into your prepared pan, smoothing it out. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the edges look golden and a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean.
04 -
In the same pan, brown your butter again. Once it’s ready, take the pan off the stove and mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time. Add the cream as much as needed until it spreads nicely, and stir in the vanilla. Make sure your brownies are totally cool before frosting them.
# Notes:
01 -
You can swap the walnuts for ⅔ cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or white chocolate chips
02 -
They’ll keep for up to 3 days in the fridge if stored in something airtight
03 -
You can also freeze these brownies—frosted or plain—for up to 3 months