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 Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 292kcal
Cake
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (281g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Penuche Frosting
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed (200g)
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
Cake
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a half sheet pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy and light.
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.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Frosting
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Add the milk, then remove from the heat.
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.
- 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.
Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg