These banana bars are a must if you're looking to up your banana bread game! Topped with fluffy cream cheese icing, once they're made, they'll quickly disappear.
I was a banana bread fan, but then I discovered these super moist, tender banana bars. The batter is similar, but I love baking it rectangular pan because then you can top the bars with swirls of fluffy cream cheese frosting.
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Essential Ingredients
Bananas: Overripe bananas are a must for this recipe. They have a higher sugar content and more intense banana flavor, and add moisture and flavor to the bars. They also have less fiber, so mash easily to use in recipes like this one.
Butter: Be sure to use softened butter to give the bars a soft texture and irresistible butter flavor.
Sour cream: Sour cream adds even more moisture to these banana bars. You can also use plain Greek yogurt instead.
Eggs: This is what gives the bars their stability and structure, as well as a tender texture. You’ll need 2 large eggs for this.
How to make Banana Bars
1. Arrange oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper so it extends over the two long sides of the pan.
2. Place the bananas in a shallow bowl, and mash with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth (A), about 1 cup.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well blended. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt until blended, stopping to scrape down sides of the bowl as necessary. (B)
4. Reduce the mixer speed to slow and beat in the baking soda, and then then flour until almost combined. Add the bananas and beat on the low until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake until light golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan on a wire rack and let the bars cool completely. (C)
6. Make the icing: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes and stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat in the vanilla and salt until blended. (D)
7. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly beat in the powdered sugar until blended. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (E)
8. To ice the bars: Grab the excess parchment and transfer the banana bars from the pan to a cutting board; remove and discard the parchment. Spoon the frosting onto the bars and spread with an offset spatula into an even layer. (F) Cut into 20 pieces and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Because the bars have cream cheese frosting, they need to be stored in the refrigerator, where they’ll be good for a few days. When you’re ready to eat, let them sit out at room temperature to allow the frosting to soften first.
- You can also freeze the banana bars before you frost them. Completely cool the bars. Tightly wrap the slab in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped banana bars in freezer-friendly storage bag or reusable container, and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw wrapped or unwrapped in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can add finely chopped nuts, such as pecans, almonds or walnuts, as well as mini chocolate chips, orange zest, or a small amount of miso.
If you don’t have overripe bananas on hand, you can speed up the process a few different ways with great results. If you can wait two or three days, place ripe bananas (peels on) in a paper bag along with an apple. The apple will give off ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process for bananas and other fruit. Or, if you need them faster, place the bananas in their peels on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean-up in case they leak) and bake at 250˚F for 15 to 20 minutes or as long as it takes them to reach a deep brown color.
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Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 Tbs.) butter, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 cups flour
- 3 medium, very ripe bananas
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick (8 Tbs. butter) softened
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper so it extends over the two long sides of the pan.
- Place the bananas in a shallow bowl, and mash with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth (about 1 cup).
- Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well blended. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt until blended, stopping to scrape down sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Reduce the mixer speed to slow and beat in the baking soda, and then then flour until almost combined. Add the bananas and beat on the low until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake until light golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan on a wire rack and let the bars cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the frosting.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes and stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat in the vanilla and salt until blended.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly beat in the powdered sugar until blended. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- To ice the bars: Grab the excess parchment and transfer the banana bars from the pan to a cutting board; remove and discard the parchment.
- Spoon the frosting onto the bars and spread with an offset spatula into an even layer. Cut into 20 pieces and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Penny says
I topped these with a dark chocolate icing for and they were sooo good!
Lisa says
Ah-mazing!
norma santiago says
Awesome recipe! I made it and is out of this world!!!Yummy!!! Thank You for the recipe 😊😊😊😊🌸🌸🌸🌼🌼🌼
Jessie says
These are so good. I added chopped walnuts to batter and a little orange zest.
Thanks for the recipe!
Donna Myers says
I made a double batch for our Thanksgiving dinner. I'm using browned butter frosting on top. They're amazing! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Kathy Kingsley says
Browned butter icing on the bars sounds great! Thanks for the review!