Banana Blondies
Easy and moist Banana Blondies with rich brown butter frosting—easy to bake, full of flavor, and perfect for dessert, snacks, or breakfast!
Do you have some brown bananas sitting on your counter waiting to be used? Well, today is their lucky day! My Banana Blondies are so amazing and reason enough to go out and buy bananas now if you don’t have any. This is a simple and indulgent recipe that is just different enough. The familiarity of the banana flavor will make sure that everyone of all ages will fall in love.
Looking for more blondie dessert bar recipes? Try my Cake Batter Blondies and my White Chocolate Blondies with Maple Cream Sauce next.
BANANA BLONDIES
If you are unfamiliar with a blondie, then your day is about to get a whole lot better. First, let’s start with a brownie. Who doesn’t love this classic dessert? Especially served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A blondie is very similar, just not rich with chocolate. Traditionally, a blondie is more of a vanilla-style brownie. But this recipe takes everything to a new level.
These blondies start with a very straight forward batter with butter, eggs, flour, and brown sugar. Mashed bananas join the party to make this as fun as a barrel of monkeys. Now, a piece of this on its own would be fruity and flavorful, but you know I’m not going to stop there. A 4-ingredient brown butter frosting is lathered over everything which makes each bite utterly irresistible!
Find my expert tips on how to make these homemade banana blondies below! Don’t forget to tag me in all of your creations @lifeinthelofthouse on Instagram or Facebook. Let’s stay connected. ❤️
Why You’ll Love This Easy Banana Blondies Recipe:
- Quick & Easy-To-Make: Bakes in just 25 minutes with simple ingredients.
- Moist & Tender: Ripe mashed bananas make the blondies soft and flavorful. If you have overripe bananas sitting in your kitchen, this is the perfect way to use them up!
- Buttery Sweetness: Brown sugar and melted butter create a rich, golden base.
- Decadent Frosting: Brown butter frosting adds a nutty, caramel-like finish.
- Versatile Treat: Perfect for dessert, a snack, or even a quick on-the-go breakfast.
Ingredients
Blondies
- 1 cup salted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 1/2 medium-sized bananas)
Brown Butter Frosting
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For The Blondies
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper then spray with cooking spray. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add melted butter and sugar. Mix until combined. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Stir in salt, flour and banana until batter is smooth. Spread evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from the oven and let cool before frosting.
For The Brown Butter Frosting
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat until butter starts to barely brown and becomes very aromatic. This only takes a couple of minutes. (Don’t let it burn!) Add the brown sugar and milk to butter. Stir until mixture comes to just a boil. Remove from heat, allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in powdered sugar with a whisk. Spread on top of blondies. Allow frosting to set before cutting into squares. It’s important to let the blondies rest and cool before frosting them. Otherwise, the brown butter frosting will get runny and not adhere correctly. After they are frosted, they are ready to serve. Enjoy!
Servings
One pan of this freshly baked dessert makes 18 servings.
Storage and Reheating
Store the banana blondie leftovers covered on the counter for up to 3 days, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat and enjoy warm, microwave a blondie for 10–15 seconds or warm in the oven at 325°F (160°C) for 5–7 minutes.
Holly’s Tips for the Best Banana Blondies:
- Use Ripe Bananas: The sweeter and softer the banana, the more flavor and moisture your blondies will have. Overripe bananas are perfect.
- Don’t Overmix The Batter: Once you add the flour and banana, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the blondies dense.
- Even Baking: Line your pan with parchment and spray lightly. This ensures easy removal and clean edges.
- Check For Doneness: Carefully insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. This prevents overbaking.
- Brown The Butter: Keep an eye on it and stir frequently—brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
- Cool Slightly Before Adding Powdered Sugar: This prevents the frosting from becoming too runny.
- Adjust Consistency: If the frosting is too thick, add a tiny splash of milk; if too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar.
- Serving Tip: For an extra treat, warm a blondie square slightly before serving—it enhances the banana flavor and makes the frosting slightly melty and delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can make Banana Blondies ahead of time by baking and cooling them, then storing them covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The brown butter frosting can also be made up to 3 days in advance and warmed slightly before spreading if needed. For longer storage, both frosted and unfrosted blondies freeze well for up to 2 months—just wrap tightly and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Yes, a hand whisk or electric hand mixer works fine. Just mix until ingredients are combined; don’t overmix.
Yes, make the brown butter frosting and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm slightly before spreading.
No. The blondies are still moist and flavorful on their own, but the brown butter frosting adds a rich, nutty sweetness.
Swap the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Look for a blend that contains xanthan gum or guar gum, which helps mimic the structure of regular flour. The texture may be slightly different—sometimes a bit more tender or crumbly—but the flavor will stay delicious. Measure the gluten-free flour carefully. Mix just until combined to avoid a dense texture. If your blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add ½ teaspoon per cup of flour to help hold the blondies together. You can also frost them exactly the same way with the brown butter frosting—no modifications needed there.
Similar Recipes
Craving something similar? My Chocolate Chip Banana Bake is just as delicious!
Looking for something kid-friendly? My pull-apart Banana Bread Monkey Bread is as sweet as it is fun to eat!
Looking for something more fruity? My Coconut Banana Bread has coconut shavings throughout each bite.
Wanting something more bite-sized? Start your day off right with my soft and chewy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.
In the mood for a chilled dessert? My Banana Cream Pie Dessert contains layers of graham cracker crust, banana pudding, and whipped cream.
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Banana Blondies
Ingredients
Banana Blondies
- 1 cup salted butter melted
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 ½ medium-sized bananas)
Brown Butter Frosting
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Banana Blondies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper then spray paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add melted butter and sugar. Mix until combined. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Stir in salt, flour and banana until batter is smooth. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and allow blondies to fully cool before frosting.
Brown Butter Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat until butter starts to barely brown and becomes very aromatic (this only takes a couple of minutes.) Don't let it burn!
- Add the brown sugar and milk to butter. Stir until mixture comes to just a boil. Remove from heat, allow to cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in powdered sugar until combined.
- Spread frosting over cooled blondies. Allow frosting to set before cutting into squares. Enjoy!
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I have a bunch of brown bananas on my counter right now and I told my kids tonight when they get home we were going to make banana bread. I might have to rethink that now and make these instead! They look delicious! You rock Holly!
Thanks Dana! Enjoy! 🙂
Yum
Mine came out BEYOND sweet! I must’ve done something wrong. I didn’t even put in all the brown sugar the recipe called for.
Have just cooked, very good recepie!
(Though nothing beats for me Holy’s no bake banana cheesecake)
Made these last week. The BEST use of old bananas!!!! My son took them to high school and shared. The kids said these blew away anything that Starbucks sells. They were awesome!! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! Glad they were a hit 🙂
My boyfriend would absolutely love these! What a great idea to use up left over bananas instead of making banana bread. Definitely going to give these a go instead of throwing my bananas away!
Just made these. They were amazing! My whole family loved them!
do you refrigerate these? Serve warm, chilled, or room temp?
OMG Amazing! Family stopped by before I made frosting, and we had to all have a sampler as it smelled so delish! Not sure I’m even going to add it now it’s so decadent & sweet as it is! I’ll be making again though so perhaps I’ll alternate with and without when I do! Thank you!!!
Hi, sounds delicious ~ do you “Pack” your brown sugar for both?
Yes!
I packed It!
Always pack brown sugar when using! It’s the only way to get an accurate measurement, every time.
These were a HUGE hit tonight! No more black bananas on the counter 🙂
Yay Jen! So glad they were a hit!
I was looking for a way to use up my old bananas without making banana bread or muffins AGAIN. Glad I came across this. OMG so good!! My 5 year old loved them!! Next time I need to bring something to an event I am making these!!!
I won’t be happy when I step on the scale…I can’t stop eating them
haha! I loved them just as much 😀 I had to take a plate over to my neighbors to get them out of my house! lol
I made these and they were more cakey than a bar but still good. I refrigerated them and the icing got really hard. If I took them out to get to room temp, would that work? I have to make them a day ahead for a group.
Yes, these are fine to sit out and let them come to room temp. 🙂
What’s the purpose of the foil liked baking dish? Can they be made with just a greased glass 9×13?
I use the foil for easy clean-up! But just greasing it works too 🙂
Oh my goodness these are delicious!! I halved the recipe but added a little extra mashed banana, ’cause why not. So moist and tasty…thank you!
In the process of making the banana blondes. Waiting for them to cool so I can make icing. The smell was divine and filled the house. If they taste as good as they smell this is going to be a winner. So over banana breadsticks. Haha!
My husband isn’t a huge sweets guy, only banana desserts and ice cream. This is the first dessert I’ve made that he loves and gobbled up!!! They are amazing!! Thank you! Now I know what to do from now on with my old bananas!!!
Just found your recipe. It’s delicious! I added pecans on top for crunch and another layer of flavor. The perfect marriage between banana bread and blondies 🙂
How long can I let premade batter sit before baking.
I’m sure a few hours covered in the fridge would be fine. Maybe over night but I wouldnt let it sit any longer than that.
Has anyone used GF flour and the vegan/soy free butter?
I made these and they were just ok. For me, 2 cups sugar AND bananas (which contain lots of natural sugar) AND frosting made these too sweet. I feel like they need more salty balance to be a delicious dessert (toffee? salted caramel?). Maybe bittersweet chocolate ganache on top instead. They are quite cakey, rather than bar-like. I also suspect they could be done with less butter. Still, I like the banana idea.
My sister loves bananas, and I hate them, so I’m always worried whether or not all the banana pastries I make will get eaten. Not anymore! These are beyond scrumptious! Thank you!
These look delicious and are in the oven now! What is the beat way to store thEse after theyve been baked and frosted?
I hope you enjoy them Sam! we love these bars so much. I personally like to store them in the fridge because I love them cold. But you can store them covered at room temperature too.
The best blondie recipe ever!! Thank you! 🙂
I just made these and they are delish! Im so happy i stumbled upon this recipe. I cut 1/2 the butter with applesauce and reduced the sugar a bit and they’re fantastic! The icing is amazing!
Loved this recipe. Due to the virus we have been secluded for many weeks. I was craving a donut. This satisfied that craving. Moist, just enough icing. So tasty. Thank you
I had some old bananas on my counter, googled what to do with them lol… your banana blondies come up & I’ve made them 3 times since. they are sooo delicious!! my neighbor wants them all the time haahaa. thank you for sharing
Made this 3 times this werk its amazing! Add an extra banAna and scoop of sour cream
OMG… SOo delicious!!! We added an extra Banana so its definitely banana Flavored, but SOooo moist and creamY and delicious!!! And Im a chocoLatE loveR lol.
They Were quick about 15 min to make and i Used up 3 baNanas. Very moist then The frosting Was really what made it special and delicious. 4.5 stars because the cut edges Dried a little.