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“Easy recipe with regular ingredients and so delicious! Served these at a party and several people asked for the recipe. Thanks for sharing!” ~Cathleen
these banana blondies are literally irresistible…
And I have to say it took me a little bit by surprise — they look so innocent! But the combination of the very dense banana cake and the very sweet caramel icing is intense. I tested the recipe on 2 consecutive days, and my self control failed miserably. I spent 48 hours in a banana blondie induced coma. Proceed with caution.
I ate these warm out of the oven…I ate them chilled from the fridge the next day…suffice it to say I’ve had them every which way and every way was amazing.
ingredients for banana blondies
If you’ve got a ripe banana or two, the rest of these easy bars come together from the pantry.
- ripe bananas
- brown sugar
- butter
- egg
- all purpose flour
- vanilla
- salt
- milk
- confectioner’s sugar
The frosting is a quick cooked caramel, but don’t let that scare you, that just means you melt some butter, brown sugar, and a touch of cream or milk together in a saucepan and heat it to a boil, then whisk in powdered sugar. It’s not fussy at all, but it does set up quickly, so plan to slather it on the cake right away. You can actually cut these and eat them warm, which is unusual for a frosted dessert.
do yourself a favor and make these 🙂
Self control issues aside, I’m so happy with this recipe, it’s reliable and easy to do. if you’re a banana lover, or just happen to know one, this is a must try. There is a ton of banana flavor packed into these slim bars, which also surprises me because I only used one banana. They are moist and dense, almost like a banana fudge, (if that thought doesn’t blow your mind.) They’re good.
banana blondie FAQs
You can freeze the bars before frosting. Just cool them completely, wrap in plastic then in foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
They will last a couple of days at room temperature, just cover loosely with foil. You can also store them in the refrigerator for a different but equally lovely effect.
Yes, that will work.
Blondies are meant to have a dense chewy texture. Rising agents create more of a cakey texture and so blondies and brownies usually don’t include them.
You might try mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or pecans, or even some shredded coconut. Next time I bake them I may add some chopped toasted pecans to the frosting for a praline effect!
Yes, a high quality 1:1 gluten free baking mix should work.
we’re obsessed with bananas
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Better than Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread
- One Banana Banana Bread!
- Banana Cake with Spiced Vanilla Buttercream
- Banana Cake with Nutella Buttercream
Banana Blondies
Equipment
- 9×9 inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup well mashed banana, about 1 to 1 1/2 bananas
caramel icing
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tbsp cream or milk
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar (possibly a little bit more)
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350F. Lightly spray and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper, if desired, to enable you to lift out the blondies for neater cutting.
- Beat the butter and sugar together for several minutes until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Mix in the mashed banana, and then the flour and salt. Mix just until everything is well blended, don’t over mix.
- Spread into your prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is set. I check with a toothpick.
- Let the cake cool most of the way before you make the frosting.
- To make the caramel frosting put the butter, brown sugar and milk or cream in a small saucepan and melt the butter, whisking all the time. Continue whisking until the mixture comes to a boil, then turn off the heat and add the sifted powdered sugar, whisking until completely smooth. You may need to add a little bit more powdered sugar if it seems very thin.
- Spread it immediately onto the cake, it will set up very quickly.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I’ve made these twice now I love them. I’m terrible at making banana bread so these are an AMAZING alternative. This is now a forever recipe in our home.
Does anyone know if the icing would work if made using a dairy alternative milk, like almond milk, or coconut milk? Thank you!
I’d say that works! But just in case you can search for other recipes using nondairy milks and/or search what properties milk does for icing. Hope this helps!
I just used oat milk and it came out PERFECT!!!!!
Just made it with almond milk and it tasted no different from other times I’ve used dairy milk!
I made the banana blondies and my Granddaughter whos first baby is due in September thought they were delicious. They were easy to make & very moreish. Lovely recipe l will definitely make them again. ?
Thanks so much Yvonne <3
These are now a go-to in our house! We have made these several times already since recently discovering this recipe (we don’t make the icing, love them as is). I’ve actually started making them in mini muffin pans (sometimes adding chocolated chips) for bite-sized treats/snacks. My 2-year old LOVES them; toddler and adult approved!
Just made these. Very tasty and super easy. Next time I may try adding some nuts to it!
Walnuts!
Can I use regular butter instead of unsalted? Will it come out the same?
You can use regular butter, but be sure to omit any salt in the recipe.
These are delicious! I wanted to use up my turned bananas, but was also wanting a change from banana bread. This recipe is a keeper in my book. Now, this wasn’t an issue for me, but it probably would be for some. The icing maked it pretty sweet. So, if you’re not a huge fan of really sweet, maybe you could use a cream cheese frosting or something. Thank you for a great recipe!
I LOVE this recipe. My son told me it was his new “favorite flavor” ? I usually have a little trouble getting the top done and have to cook it a little longer, but that’s probably just my terrible oven. Other than that, I follow this recipe exactly and have awesome results.
YAY, so glad you both loved it Ellyn <3
Why do you have to spray your dish if you are going to line it with parchment paper? Am I missing something?
That helps the paper stick and stay put, so when you spread the blondie batter into the pan, the paper doesn’t slide all around.
These are hands down the best! Do not waste your time on an 8×8. Double the recipe and use a 9×13…trust me. My hubby and daughter finished the whole pan in a day and a half! And two days later, I had to make them again for her birthday. They are amazing! I added walnuts the second time…served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream….pure heaven
Did you add walnuts to the cake or the frosting?