This twist on classic banana walnut bread adds brown butter which transforms the bread. Add a swirl of vanilla infused butter for an unforgettable breakfast, brunch or snack. So moist you’ll need to make two, one to eat immediately and one for later.
If you’re like me, you always have ripe bananas that you hate to throw out. This is when you need some great banana bread recipes, because the riper the bananas the better a banana bread will taste.
Don’t throw out those black bananas, now you’ve got a “go-to” breakfast recipe that you’ll make over and over again. While you have an extra step to brown the butter, this is such an easy recipe, you don’t even need an electric mixer. You just whisk everything thing together.
What’s So Special About This Banana Nut Bread Recipe
There’s a million banana bread recipe out there, in fact I have another favorite with a cheesecake filling and one with zucchini and chocolate chips. This one is over the top delicious due to brown butter and vanilla butter. I’m not sure which is better.
The browned butter goes into the batter of the banana bread and the amazing vanilla butter is used to spread on the bread. Once you make this, you’ll be spreading it on everything. Try it on your favorite pancakes.
A third thing that makes it special are toasted walnuts. Most recipes for banana bread call for pecans, which I agree are great, but there’s something about the combination of toasted walnuts and bananas.
The first time I this version, it was to take to a friend who was recovering from surgery. However, once it came out of the oven, it was gone before I could share it. Instead of eating just one slice, everyone, including me, just had to have more. (yes, I did make another loaf for my friend)
We were still talking about it days later and it has become my “go-to” recipe for when my bananas are turning brown.
For those occasions when you don’t have overripe bananas it’s easy to ripen them fast so that you get the best banana flavor.
What’s the Easiest Way to Brown Butter
While you’re ripening the bananas, if you don’t already have ripe ones, you need to brown some butter. This is easy to do and will be perfect as long as you don’t get distracted.
Place the butter in a small sauce pan and cook it until it foams. You will start to see a brown color develop and will smell the distinct aroma of brown butter. As soon as you see the brown forming, remove it from the heat and pour it out of the pan into a glass bowl or container. If you leave it in the hot pan, it will continue to brown until it’s burnt and then it’s ruined and you have to start again. For tips, learn how to keep brown butter from burning.
Ingredients Tips
- Very ripe bananas – These need to be brown, for me they are too ripe to eat. You need overripe bananas for more flavor and sweetness. If you’re bananas are just ripe and not overripe, they won’t add much flavor.
- Butter – you will use some to brown and some to use to make vanilla butter.
- Walnuts – you’re going to toast these to bring out the flavor. You can also use pecans instead. To toast walnuts, place them in a pan in the oven and toast at 350º for a few minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
- Vanilla bean – To remove the seeds from a vanilla bean, slice it from end to end then use the blade of a knife to scrape down each half. The seeds will come out on the blade of the knife.
This Banana Bread Recipe is Easy
Step 1: add some flavor
Step 2: mix the liquids
Step 3: add it all together
Step 4: flavor the butter
I don’t like frosting on banana bread, just warm with butter. So vanilla butter is just perfect for me. Of course this is still fantastic without the vanilla butter, but if you have a vanilla bean hanging around, go for it and be prepared to be amazed.
Go ahead and make a stick or two and keep it in the freezer to put on fluffy waffles or your favorite oatmeal bread.
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Brown Butter Banana Walnut Bread with Vanilla Bean Butter
Ingredients
BREAD
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 overly ripe bananas skins should be black, about 1 cup
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 egg beaten
- ¾ cup toasted walnuts
- turbinado sugar optional
VANILLA BUTTER
- 8 tablespoons salted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 vanilla bean split and seeds scraped
Equipment
Instructions
- If the bananas are not over ripe, preheat the oven to 250º. Cook bananas in the peel on a cookie sheet for 15-25 minutes until skins are black.
- While bananas are baking, brown the butter. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook butter until it turns brown, about 5 minutes, then pour into a glass bowl. Let cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a larger bowl, mash bananas with a fork or potato masher. Add sugar, brown butter, honey, and egg, whisking to combine. Add flour mixture, and stir until just barely combined. Fold in chopped toasted walnuts.
- Place batter in prepared pan and sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes and then remove from pan to a cooling rack to cool before slicing.
- Vanilla Butter:
- In a small bowl, add butter, sugar and vanilla seeds scraped from the pod. Mix with hand held mixer to combine. Let sit for an hour before serving.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can use pecans instead of walnuts.
- If your bananas are not overly ripe, they will not add flavor or sweetness to the banana bread.
- The vanilla butter is extra and not needed for a delicious banana bread.
- Make sure that you remove the butter from the stove as soon as it starts to turn brown, it will quickly go from brown to burnt. Don’t leave it in the pan as it will continue to cook, pour it into a bowl to cool.
Nutrition
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