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 read all of the reviews before deciding if I wanted to make this. I decided to not pack down my brown sugar for the blondies but did for the icing. I am so glad I made these. they were wonderful. I had bananas to use up and the thought of banana bread or muffins seemed blah to me. I did not find these to be too sweet. I’ve never cooked icing on the stove so that was new for me. it was delicious. thanks for the recipe, I’m sure I’ll make it again
Loved how easy these were to make, love, love, love that frosting. I saw other reviewers didn’t like the sweetness, but I do!
I had one and a half over ripe bananas, and I added a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter, and 3/4 cup butterscotch chips. These are fantastic!
Absolutely Delicious! I decided not to make the icing. Tastes Great without it
These were great! Made them gluten free with Bob’s 1:1. Thanks for this RECIPE!
1st time trying these, and they are amazing! I Shared these at a gathering recently, and they were a hit! thanks for sharing!
Oh goodness!!! This recipe is delicious!!! Thank you for the idea of what to do with my “past their prime” bananas.
These sound delicious and i happen to have 4 over-ripe bananas that i was going to use to make flourless banana pancaked. i’ll make these instead but will cut the sugar amounts in 1/2 and add walnuts to the batter. thanks for the recipes!
Huge hit at a recent party! Icing was a little tight and hard to spread, but got there in the end. Thanks!
I have made these so many times and they are always just incredible. however, this recipe makes a lot of dessert for a household with only a little bit of a sweet tooth. have you tried freezing these? curious if it would be a way to have them more often instead of waiting until there are eight people around to eat them with haha
Yes you can freeze the bars! Just cool them completely, wrap in plastic or a Ziplock freezer bag (releasing as much air as possible), and freeze for up to 3 months.
I was seriously doubting the whole brown sugar in the frosting but this is amazing!!! 10/10
I’ve made this 3 times in one week!!!! Everyone loves these!
if you’re sick of banana bread and want something else to do with banana’s, omg yes, make these!! I have made 6 batches so far. I also added some chocolate chips or chopped butterfingers before frosting. yum yum yum. thank you for this recipe!!
These were beyond delIghtful! I will definitely be making them again. They were a dense rich banana bar (not cakey) and to die for frosting. Thanks for giving me another option with bananas other than just banana bread!
I just made these, absolute hit in my house! Just a quick question, how many calories per square?
I had old bananas and I was so tired of throwing them out, but I was tired of banana bread and how long it takes. I tried this recipe and it was delicious! I prepped it in like 5 mins and it baked in 25 min., in my 9×13 pan wtih parchment paper. Easy clean up too! My bananas were very overripe and I used four of them.
10/10 These are so delicious! Followed the recipe to a T and they came out fantastic. My son and one of his cousins loved them, so I sent some off to my SILs house. They all loved them too. And they are easy to make!
Every so often we get a large amount of bananas for free. I do a huge batch cook of various desserts and breakfast items when this happens, always trying new things. This has become our staple recipe to the point I even make it between batch cook times. It’s my husband’s absolute favorite and I make them, cut them, and stick them in the freezer and he pulls them out and eats them straight from the freezer. Thank you so very much for sharing this.
This was a hit in my household! I didn’t have an egg, but just added an extra banana and it was delicious! I used an 8×8 pan because I only wanted a small batch, and it was moist and full of banana flavor, I am glad I came across this recipe! Seriously, give your family a treat and make this now!
Fantastic recipe!! I think I’ve found my new favorite banana dessert!! I love the texture of the blondies and the caramel flavor of the icing. I did reduce the amount of sugar in the blondie batter by at least 1/4 cup, and I actually didn’t have brown sugar so I just used regular sugar with a drizzle of molasses. Turned out perfectly sweet, moist, and flavorful! Thank you for showing us a creative and delicious new way to use up overripe bananas!!
Love this recipe and have made it a gazillion times. Hadn’t made it in probably 6 months and couldn’t find the recipe, but remembered your site name. Started making it and I could have sworn it was in a 9×13 pan instead of the 9×9 you listed above. I went ahead and made it in the 9×9 and it turned out fine and everyone loved it. When we got back home, I was looking for another recipe and found your original one I used so many times. It did say 9×13. Any reason why you changed it to 9×13?
Hi PB! I made the bars again a few months ago in the 9×13-inch pan, and they seemed really thin. So I tried it again in the 9×9 and I liked that they were thicker bars instead of so thin. That’s why I changed the pan size 🙂