• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • New Magazine!
  • Bread
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans

Brown Butter Banana Cranberry Bread

December 19, 2014 by Joy the Baker 46 Comments

Jump to Recipe

brown butter banana cranberry bread

[W]henever I need to recalibrate my brain in the kitchen, I look towards the oven and towards the fruit bowl. The oven is my base, my rock, my familiar place. My fruit bowl inevitably has an embarrassing amount of near rotten bananas in it because… I mean, who doesn’t buy a weird amount of bananas every single time they visit the grocery? That can’t be just me.

Banana bread. Familiar, simple, and sweet. It’s my first base.

I’ve spent the week writing recipes for my Brunch cookbook and I feel like aaaallll of my food ideas have been poured onto those pages for the future. Let’s just go back to first base, just to rest a bit.

brown butter banana cranberry bread

It would be fair to say that this month is a crush of madness. We all do a pretty fair job of acting like we’ve got our heads on straight, but I know what’s up. I also know how many rotting bananas you have in your fruit bowl… so, there’s no escaping this bread. Embrace the simplicity. Add cranberries. It’s festive and appropriate.

Sidenote: on this Sunday’s list post we’re going to need to talk about the last episode of the Serial Podcast because EXCUSE ME WHAT!?

brown butter banana cranberry bread

Let’s take a deep breath and relax into this banana bread.  This won’t be a stresser at all!

Flour, spices, and salt and sifted well.  Fluffy flour.  No lumps.  

brown butter banana cranberry bread

The thing is… why add butter when you can add BROWNED butter.  It’s nutty, fragrant, and has an alluring, almost caramelized flavor.  Also… it’s butter.  WIN.

brown butter banana cranberry bread

Mashed bananas plus brown sugar.  We’re whisking in the eggs, yogurt, and butter as well.  

We’re really onto something here.  Trust me.  

brown butter banana cranberry bread

Stirred together:  flour and spices plus all that banana goodness.  

brown butter banana cranberry bread

In with the cranberry gems.  

This is the festive part.  The bells and whistles.  

brown butter banana cranberry bread

All this batter in this humble loaf pan.  It’s a lot of batter for a 9×5-inch loaf pan.  Consider this one tasty loaf of banana bread and 2 banana bread muffins.  

brown butter banana cranberry bread

Crumble topping for days.  As it should be forever and ever.  

brown butter banana cranberry bread

This bread is everything right. Moist and soft. Perfect for breakfast and snacking. Studded with tart cranberry and topped with crunchy topping. I happen to think you should make a loaf this weekend, and catch up on the Serial podcast. We have much to discuss and lots of bread to eat.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Brown Butter Banana Cranberry Bread

  • Author: Joy the Baker
Pin Recipe
Print Recipe

Description

Sweet, moist banana bread studded with tart fresh cranberries.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Bread

  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 cup of butter
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup mashed banana (from about 3 medium bananas)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole fresh cranberries

For the Crumble

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper leaving about two inches of parchment paper to hang over two sides of the loaf pan. Parchment paper will make the loaf much easier to remove from the pan.
  2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts. When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown. Swirl the pan as the butter cooks. When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the butter to a small bowl. Taking the butter out of the hot saucepan will stop the butter from overcooking and burning. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and yogurt. When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.
  5. Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients. Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to reveal any hidden pockets of flour. Fold together ingredients, but try not to over stir. Fold in the cranberries.
  6. To make the crumble, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.
  7. Spoon batter into prepared pan. The pan will be very full. Leave out a spoonful of batter if you’re worried about the bread baking over. Make a few muffins with the scooped out batter. Bake the loaf for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Bread will last 4 days, well wrapped at room temperature. This loaf also freezes well.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Bread, Breakfast, Holiday

Previous Post: « Mushroom Kale Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Next Post: Let It Be Sunday »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sara

    December 28, 2014 at 10:24 am

    This looks delicious! Will the recipe work with wholewheat flour instead?

    Reply
  2. The Queen of Dreaming

    December 28, 2014 at 6:43 am

    I’ve already started imagine myself tomorrow morning eating THIS <3

    https://justsem.wordpress.com/

    Reply
  3. Meg

    December 22, 2014 at 3:12 pm

    You’re definitely not the only one who over-buys bananas – this seems like a fine use of my time though, not to mention delicious! Can’t wait to give it a try… xx

    Reply
  4. Megan

    December 22, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    This will be made today to give to a neighbor. Thanks!! Her husband just passed away. So know your recipe will bring a smile to someone who really deserves to smile. Thanks again!

    Reply
  5. Jill

    December 21, 2014 at 1:27 pm

    Loving your addition of cardamom! Baking spices with cardamom is soooo good. Yum!

    Reply
  6. Alessandra // the foodie teen

    December 21, 2014 at 2:41 am

    I totally need this to relax after the last Serial episode.. I just couldn’t believe it was over and really thought there was a huge big reveal coming! The banana bread looks absolutely wonderful, and I love that you added cranberries for a festive touch :)

    Reply
  7. Sienna

    December 20, 2014 at 7:14 pm

    you had me at brown butter.

    Reply
  8. Heidi Halstead

    December 20, 2014 at 4:48 pm

    When does the crumble action happen? I guess it’s kinda obvious, but does it go on top of the batter before baking or sometime during the baking?

    Reply
    • V.Mayer

      December 20, 2014 at 7:55 pm

      I was wondering the same thing-

      Reply
  9. Laura (Tutti Dolci)

    December 19, 2014 at 7:39 pm

    Yes please to brown butter banana bread and that crumble topping – so good!

    Reply
  10. Christina @ The Beautiful Balance

    December 19, 2014 at 1:33 pm

    Cardamom and cranberry are a match made in banana bread heaven!

    Reply
  11. Jenn

    December 19, 2014 at 1:11 pm

    making this right now for my sister! can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  12. shelly

    December 19, 2014 at 12:57 pm

    please excuse my total disregard for the bread when I say OMG SERIAL. THE CLERICAL ERROR! THE CLERICAL ERROR!!!!

    Reply
  13. helloarlene

    December 19, 2014 at 12:43 pm

    Unfortunately with a 1 year old in the house. Our bananas disappear faster than they can turn gloriously ripe. Maybe I’m not buying said “weird amount” of bananas. Apparently, I’m totally not doing it right. he he This DOES sounds delicious though. I love the bit of tart cranberries to cut the sweetness of the banana bread. Yum yum!

    Reply
  14. Chris Delaney-Haynes

    December 19, 2014 at 10:08 am

    Just made this recipe this morning — YUM! Thank you & Happy Holidays! :-) Chris

    Reply
  15. sharana @ Living The Sweet Life Blog

    December 19, 2014 at 9:59 am

    I love the spikes of cranberry — and brunch book — ahhhh CAN’T WAIT!

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »
Comments Page 2 of 3
« Previous 1 2 3 Next »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Bread

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate
How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Micro batch baking – the invitation is to get all the way into it with me!  This is all very Kristin Wiig  making herself a single, sad cupcake in the movie Bridesmaids, save for the fact that there is absolutely zero sadness in me eating a single cinnamon roll over the kitchen sink in my…

Read More

Pile of baked croissants on rack just like starbucks ham and cheese croissant recipe.
Easy Ham and Cheese Croissants

I’ve got 30 solid minutes of your weekend planned out for you.  You’re going to be standing in the kitchen, but I promise it won’t be long. Pour a cup of coffee – that’ll help with everything.  Within your 30 minutes you’re going to pull bakery-quality ham and cheese croissants out of the oven.  I’m…

Read More

Hot cross buns frosted.
Easter Hot Cross Biscuits

Where do you land when it comes to Easter brunch?  Are you a ham, roasted lamb, and scalloped potato family?  Are you more of a quiche salad and biscuit clan?  Do you skip directly to the jelly beans and Cadbury mini eggs?  I’m nodding my head yes – there’s no wrong way to do it. …

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe

Joy the baker with dyed bandana around neck

HOW TO MAKE DYED BANDANAS

as seen in JtB Magazine!

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

FAVORITE FRUIT RECIPES

Baked peach scones stacked with butter.

Easy Peaches and Cream Scones

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

POPULAR CAKES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Slice of coconut cake on small white plate with coffee.

My favorite Coconut Cake is actually made with cake mix

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
If the question is, what am I baking this weekend? If the question is, what am I baking this weekend? The answer is: 🍋🫐 Gooey Butter Cake.
He has no idea how swoony I get when he saves me a He has no idea how swoony I get when he saves me a seat at breakfast or moves me to the inside of the sidewalk for safety. What a thrill to have absolutely no chill whatsoever. Happy August, friends. I hope you’re hydrated and in stupid love.
Your weekend baking sorted! 🫠 Just add peanut b Your weekend baking sorted! 🫠 Just add peanut butter and marshmallows to the grocery list. ⁣
⁣
Also, if you snuck some 🍫🍫 in with the marshmallow you’d have a lil peanut butter cookie s’more and no one would be mad. ⁣
⁣
Recipe linked in the profile! xo.
Our no-bake, 🍒🍋 dreams come true thanks to @ Our no-bake, 🍒🍋 dreams come true thanks to @theboywhobakes! ⁣
⁣
This perfect summer recipe is linked in the profile! xo
🤝🫠💓🍅 to July 2022. 🤝🫠💓🍅 to July 2022.
Just when you thought Peanut Butter Cookies couldn Just when you thought Peanut Butter Cookies couldn’t get any better - add a marshmallow, 🫠. Recipe inspired by @thecozyplum and linked in the profile! xo
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up