My Best Browned Butter Banana Bread Recipe

Meet your new favorite banana bread recipe!  It’s moist, deeply flavored, and just the right amount of sweet. It’s an easy, one-bowl loaf that fills your kitchen with the smell of butter and bananas. What could be better!?

Every time I move into a new kitchen (which, as an air sign, has been more than a few times), before the drawers are organized or the flour bins find their place in the cabinet, I bake a loaf of banana bread. It’s my way of breaking in the space, filling the walls with warmth, and quietly saying, welcome home. There’s something about the way cinnamon and browned butter drift through the house that makes even an unfamiliar kitchen feel settled.  Magic? Obviously I think so!

This particular loaf reminds me of my grandmother, Mommom, who would have lovingly scoffed at the idea of browning butter – “too fussy,” she’d say – but she still made the best banana bread I’ve ever had. This version is just a little extra special, with nutty browned butter and a handful of chocolate chips to make it feel like more of a treat than it already is.

Now, whether you’re baking in a brand-new kitchen, one that’s fed your family for thirty years, or simply making something warm for a friend’s housewarming, this banana bread is a small but very certain way to welcome yourself home.  Let’s make it, friends!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this epic banana bread recipe:

• Unsalted butter  We brown it first to build layers of nutty, toffee-like flavor. It’s the foundation of the loaf’s rich, caramel notes.

• All-purpose flour  Our sturdy base that holds the loaf together while keeping it soft and tender.

• Sugar  Sweetens and helps the bread stay moist for days (plus adds just the right golden crust).

• Baking soda  The lift! Reacts with the sour cream for that perfect, slightly domed top.

• Kosher salt  Balances the sweetness and brings every flavor into sharper focus.

• Ground cinnamon  Adds warmth and coziness to every bite; banana bread’s best friend.

• Freshly grated nutmeg  Just a pinch makes the flavor feel homemade and a little fancy.

• Eggs  Bind everything together and add richness for a perfectly sliceable loaf.

• Pure vanilla extract  Deepens the flavor and adds that bakery-style aroma you can smell from the next room.

• Sour cream  Adds moisture, tenderness, and just enough tang to balance the sweetness.

• Very ripe bananas  The star of the show. The spottier, the better as they bring natural sweetness.

• Chocolate chips – A generous handful of melty pockets that turn a breakfast bread into an anytime treat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla and sour cream until silky and well combined. Stir in the mashed bananas – we’re welcoming a few soft banana lumps; they’re part of the charm. Once the browned butter has cooled to just warm (so it doesn’t scramble the eggs), slowly stream it in while whisking. We’re looking for a glossy, cohesive mixture that smells like bananas and toffee, smooth, but not whipped with tons of air.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until everything is evenly combined and there are no sneaky pockets of flour hiding out. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients all at once. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the two together; start from the bottom of the bowl and lift the batter over itself until no dry streaks remain. The trick here is to mix just until combined.  Overmixing makes a tough loaf, and we’re going for tender and soft. Fold in most of the chocolate chips, saving a few for the top.

If you’re feeling indulgent (and you should), fold in a heaping cup of chocolate chips. They’ll melt into soft, silky pockets throughout the loaf and make each slice feel like dessert. Chopped walnuts are another classic move here – lightly buttery, toasty, and just the right crunch against the tender crumb. You can add one, both, or neither. Choose your own adventure!

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan (greased and lined with parchment paper), scatter the remaining chocolate chips (or a few extra, because why not) across the top, and bake until the bread is deeply golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs – about an hour, a little less. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes before lifting out onto a wire rack. The hardest part is waiting, but slicing while it’s still just warm is the sweet spot.

Once cooled, this loaf is just as dreamy toasted the next day. Slice it thick, toast until the edges crisp and the chocolate turns glossy again, and slather with salted butter or a swipe of cream cheese. It’s the kind of breakfast (or snack) that feels like you’re getting away with dessert before noon.

My Best Browned Butter Banana Bread Recipe

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• Author: Joy the Baker
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 50-60 minutes plus 15 minutes of cooling
• Total Time: about 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 1 9x5-inch loaf pan that serves 8 1x
• Category: breakfast, brunch
• Method: baking

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Description

Rich, nutty browned butter and extra-ripe bananas make this the ultimate cozy loaf. Tender, perfectly sweet, and studded with melty chocolate chips — it’s everything banana bread dreams to be.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 ounces (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over ½ cup
• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (150 grams) lightly packed light sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (65 grams) sour cream
• 1¼ cups (about 3 medium) very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 heaping cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Prep the Pan and Oven
   Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. Step 2: Brown the Butter
   In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. The butter will foam and crackle as it melts—keep swirling the pan. Once the crackling subsides, the milk solids will begin to brown on the bottom of the pan and the butter will smell nutty and caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour the browned butter into a small bowl to stop the cooking. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients
   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Step 4: Mix the Wet Ingredients
   In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Stir in the mashed bananas. When the brown butter has cooled, whisk it into the wet ingredients until smooth.
5. Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry
   Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once and gently fold until just combined. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to catch any hidden pockets of flour. Avoid overmixing—this is how we keep our loaf tender. Fold in the chocolate chips saving a few to sprinkle on top.
6. Step 6: Bake and Cool
   Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle on remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Storage:
   This loaf will keep, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to 4 days. It also freezes like a dream—slice and wrap for quick breakfast treats later.

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