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A cooling rack topped with roasted banana bars with cream cheese frosting
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Roasted Banana Bars with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

These Roasted Banana Bars with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting are a sweet treat recipe you'll make over and over. Bananas are roasted whole, caramelizing their flavors before even being baked in to a soft and tender cake. Brown butter and cream cheese are whipped together in this undeniably delicious frosting.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

  • 4 bananas, preferably ripe
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

For the brown butter cream cheese frosting:

  • 1/2 cup butter room temperature
  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

For the roasted bananas:

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes until blackened, and remove from oven to cool. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

For the bars:

  • Cream sugar and butter together until thoroughly combined. Add eggs and greek yogurt, and vanilla, once again mixing until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
  • Once bananas have slightly cooled, use a paring knife and slice down the length of each banana. Remove flesh, discarding the peels, and add roasted bananas to bowl and mix until just combined.
  • Transfer batter to a 9 by 9 baking dish that has been sprayed with coconut oil and dusted with flour. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Allow bars to slightly cool as you prep the frosting.

For the brown butter cream cheese frosting:

  • In a small saucepan, slowly melt butter over medium low heat, gently swirling the pan as the butter slowly browns. Once the butter turns golden, and there are small browned bits on the bottom of the pan, remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir browned butter, ensuring all browned bits on the bottom of the pan are loosened. Pour in to a small dish, allow to cool completely and until the butter slightly hardens. You'll want it to be the same consistency as regular rooms temperature butter.
  • Using a stand or electric hand mixer, whip the butter and cream cheese until combined.
  • Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments. Once all the powdered sugar has been added, add vanilla and salt and mix to combine. Taste frosting, adjusting salt and powdered sugar if needed.
  • Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and slice.