When I lived in Sydney my apartment was right around the corner from a coffee shop that served the most delicious banana bread. Like, caramelized bananas in bread form, and I completely blame it for the 5 (of the undisclosed number of) pounds I gained in my first year. I’m wondering if I can also blame it for a few of the other bad choices I made in college….black hair for one…why not? Anyway, Sydney fatty banana bread. I’ve never been able to perfectly replicate it but this recipe is pretty freaking close. The browned butter adds a nutty, caramel flavor and I use just a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. If you like a spicier banana bread, throw some more in, and maybe add some cloves too. Walnuts would also be a great choice. Toasted walnuts would be even better.

This bread is extra good warm with whipped honey butter. To make said whipped honey butter, whip the heck out of some room temp unsalted butter and add honey and salt to taste. Also, did you know there’s not much of a difference in the amount of sugar in just freckled bananas and really, really overripe ones? Well, it’s true. I’m sure someone actually studied it, but yours truly was a c student in science and just the word algebra gives me heartburn worse than when I was pregnant and drank every topo chico in a 5 mile radius, then wondered why I was curled up into a tiny (fat) ball crying my eyes out in pain. Point is, don’t bother waiting until your bananas really need to be put out of their misery. This recipe makes one loaf, but if you’ve been hoarding bananas double it and make an extra loaf. Ours was gone in about 30 seconds, quite a feat for 2 small-ish adults and a toddler who we are pretty sure stores food in his cheeks.

Also, some things I’m into these days.

listening: Beck’s single Dreams….on repeat. David has listened to Beck forever, and while I never loved him, I could kinda get into it. But now, now I love Beck. I mean, after his response to Kanye at the Grammy’s how could you not?

4.5 from 2 reviews

weekending // brown butter banana bread

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 9 tbsp (133g) butter
• ½ c white sugar (100g)
• ½ c brown sugar (53g)
• 2 eggs
• ½ c sour cream (114g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ c all purpose flour (150g)
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated if you have it
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3-4 ripe bananas, or 1 ¼ c mashed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter a 9x5 loaf pan and dust with sugar, tapping out the excess
3. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, swirling occasionally. As it melts, it will foam, the color will darken and the milk solids will separate. When it starts to smell nutty and turn hazelnut-colored remove the pan from heat and transfer the butter to a heat-proof bowl.
4. Cream browned butter, white and brown sugar together with paddle attachment (or beaters, whichever you have) until light and fluffy
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated, then add sour cream and vanilla, mix until combined.
6. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together then slowly add to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Add bananas and finishing by hand, stirring just until mixed in evenly.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen the bread from the pan. Take bread out and let cool, slice and serve.

3.3.3077