Brown Butter, Salted Caramel & Cinnamon Sugar Banana Bread
Five bananas, browned butter, a little salted caramel, and a crunchy cinnamon-sugar crust. Not your average banana bread.
I love a good banana bread. It’s one of those recipes that’s comforting, easy to throw together, and makes your entire kitchen smell incredible.
My version started with Lidey Heuck’s Easy Banana Bread from NYT Cooking. It’s a wonderful recipe on its own, but I’ve made a few additions that I think make it even better.
First, I brown the butter. It takes just a few extra minutes and adds the most delicious, rich, nutty flavor. Then, I add Coop’s salted caramel, because why not? I also use four very brown bananas in the batter and another sliced lengthwise on top.
Before baking, I finish everything with flaky sea salt, coarse sugar, and cinnamon sugar. The topping becomes golden and slightly crunchy in the oven, which is the perfect contrast to the soft, moist bread underneath.
It’s sweet, a little salty, buttery, and full of banana flavor. Basically, everything banana bread should be.
Brown Butter & Salted Caramel Banana Bread
Prep time: 20–25 minutes
Bake time: 55–70 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf (approximately 8 servings)
Ingredients
For the banana bread:
Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
2 large eggs
4 very ripe, brown bananas, mashed
½ cup (1 stick / 115 grams) unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled
¾ cup (165 grams) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (57 grams) sour cream
2 cups (256 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Approximately ¼ cup Coop’s Salted Caramel Sauce (or 2 generous spoonfuls)
For the topping:
1 additional banana, sliced lengthwise
Flaky sea salt
Coarse sparkling sugar
Cinnamon sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Brown the butter.
In a small, light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter begins to foam and the milk solids turn golden brown. It should smell rich and nutty.
Remove from the heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl, making sure to include all those delicious browned bits at the bottom.
Allow the butter to cool slightly before adding it to the batter.
This is one of my favorite little baking tricks. Browning the butter adds so much flavor without requiring much extra effort.
3. Combine the wet ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, four mashed bananas, browned butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
A few lumps of banana are perfectly fine.
Stir in the sour cream until incorporated.
4. Mix the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon.
5. Bring everything together.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, gently folding until the flour is just incorporated.
Be careful not to overmix. You want the bread to stay soft and tender.
6. Add the salted caramel.
Here’s where things get good.
Add approximately ¼ cup of Coop’s Salted Caramel Sauce to the batter. I usually eyeball it and use about two generous spoonfuls.
Gently fold the caramel into the mixture, leaving a few ribbons throughout.
You can absolutely use less caramel if you prefer a less sweet banana bread. I tend to go by taste (and whatever feels right at the moment).
7. Add the banana and toppings.
Transfer the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Slice your remaining banana lengthwise and arrange both halves, cut-side up, on top of the batter.
Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, cinnamon sugar, and a little flaky sea salt.
I don’t measure the toppings. I just make sure there’s a nice, even coating of cinnamon sugar and coarse sugar, followed by a light sprinkle of flaky salt.
The sugar creates a slightly crisp, caramelized crust, while the salt balances out all that sweetness.
8. Bake until golden.
Bake for approximately 55–70 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without wet batter.
Because of the extra bananas and caramel, your loaf may need a few additional minutes in the oven.
If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
9. Cool and enjoy.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack.
Remove the parchment paper and let it cool further before slicing.
I love it slightly warm, especially with a cup of coffee.
A Few Notes
Use really ripe bananas. And when I say ripe, I mean really ripe. The browner and spottier, the better. They add natural sweetness, moisture, and a more concentrated banana flavor.
Don’t rush the browned butter. Watch it closely because it can go from beautifully golden to burnt pretty quickly. Those little brown bits at the bottom are where all the flavor is.
Adjust the caramel to your liking. I use roughly ¼ cup of Coop’s salted caramel, but this isn’t an exact science. If you don’t love overly sweet desserts, start with a little less.
Don’t skip the sour cream. It helps give the bread that soft, tender texture that makes a good banana bread so irresistible.
The topping is everything. The combination of coarse sugar, cinnamon sugar, and flaky sea salt gives the bread the most delicious sweet-and-salty finish.
It’s even better the next day. As tempting as it is to eat the entire loaf straight out of the oven, the flavors have a chance to develop overnight. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer storage.
Final Thoughts
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a classic banana bread, but sometimes a few little additions make all the difference.
The browned butter gives it a rich, nutty flavor, the salted caramel adds a little indulgence, and the cinnamon-sugar topping gives every slice the perfect bit of crunch.
It’s the kind of recipe that makes you look forward to having a bunch of overripe bananas sitting on your counter.
And if you find yourself adding an extra spoonful of caramel, I won’t tell.
Adapted from Lidey Heuck’s Easy Banana Bread, published by NYT Cooking, with my own additions and modifications.