Yield: 24 servings

Banana Bars with Penuche Frosting

Banana Bars with Penuche Frosting

Soft, sweet Banana Bars are topped with an almost fudge-like penuche frosting made with caramelized brown sugar and are the perfect way to use up the overripe brown bananas sitting on your counter! This recipe is essentially a frosted banana sheet cake, but great for cutting into bars and serving a crowd!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 and 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (usually 3 bananas)
  • 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Penuche Frosting

  • 1/2 cup salted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup hot milk
  • 3 and 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a half sheet pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy and light.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing to combine. Add the mashed bananas and sour cream, mixing and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  4. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Frosting

  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
  2. Add the milk, then remove from the heat.
  3. Working quickly, whisk in the powdered sugar and pour over the still warm cake. Use a spatula to immediately spread the frosting around the top of the cake while it is still hot, then let it sit for 30 minutes to set up.

Notes

  • Adding nuts: These bars would be delicious with the addition of chopped walnuts or pecans, either in the cake itself or sprinkled on top of the penuche frosting before it has a chance to set.
  • Cream cheese frosting: If you would rather have a more traditional cream cheese frosting, this one is our favorite.
  • Storage: These will keep for about 5 days on the counter stored in an airtight container. Or you can freeze the bars for up to 2 months. Let thaw on the counter for a couple of hours before serving. The bars are delicious warm, cold, or room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 208Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.