These Old Fashioned Sour Cream Banana Bars should really be called cake.  They are super moist like the best cake ever and super flavorful and a browned butter icing just sends them right over the top!!  

Banana bars.

This wonderful recipe originated from a Betty Crocker cookbook in 1979.  I was in college the first time I made these delectable banana bars.  I came home for the weekend and my mom had this new little cookbook and I started thumbing through it.  I came across this recipe and my mom just happened to have some very ripe bananas.  My mom actually liked to eat the very ripe ones.  YUK!!  The rest is history!  I’ve made these banana bars so many times and they always disappear within minutes.

Banana bars.

Bananas

Bananas are the main ingredient in this recipe.  It’s super important to use ripe spotted bananas.  Don’t use bananas that are too ripe, because they will be fermented and will taste fermented.

This recipe is called banana “bars” but if I had my way I would call this recipe “cake”.  That’s how super moist these bars are.  Some recipes containing bananas end up being on the dense side, but not this recipe.  Sour cream adds moistness to this recipe and the bars have a light and moist texture.

Browned Butter Icing

Browned butter is what makes this icing SO… delectable!!  It’s important to not just melt the butter but to brown it.  Here are my easy tips for browning the butter.

  1. Never walk away from the pan while you’re browning the butter.  It can turn from browned to burnt very quickly!
  2. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt it.
  3. Once the butter has melted, frequently swirl it around in the pan over the heat.  It will take about 4 to 5 minutes to brown the butter.  The butter will start to foam up and bubble some.  Keep swirling it around until the butter is golden brown and has small brown flecks in it, then remove it from the heat.  It should look like the picture on the above right.  This is butter that has been browned.

Once the butter is browned, add powdered sugar, vanilla and half & half and mix with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.  Spread the icing on the bars while they are still slightly warm.  If the icing seems a little too thick, just add an additional tablespoon of half & half.

Banana bars.

Get a tall glass of milk ready.  You’ll be eating more than one.  I promise!!

Other great banana recipes…

Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Perfect Banana Nut Bread

Fresh Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

No-Cook Perfect Banana Pudding

If you make this recipe please rate it, and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love getting your feedback! 🙂

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Old Fashioned Sour Cream Banana Bars

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Cindy Gibbs@My Country Table
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 20 Bars 1x
  • Category: Bars/Cookies
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These utterly delicious Banana Bars should really be called cake.  They are super moist like the best cake ever and super flavorful and a browned butter icing just sends them right over the top!!  Get a tall glass of milk ready and you won’t stop at one.  I promise!!


Ingredients

Units Scale

FOR THE BARS

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 large)
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional (I use them)

FOR THE BROWNED BUTTER ICING

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 5 tablespoons half & half


Instructions

FOR THE BARS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
  3. To a large mixing bowl, add the butter, sour cream and sugar.  Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer), mix on medium speed until the sugar is well incorporated into the butter and sour cream.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for about 1 minute until everything is well combined.  Add the dry ingredients and mix just until they are almost fully incorporated.  Add the mashed bananas and nuts and mix for a few seconds.  Stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix just until incorporated.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula or an offset spatula to spread the batter out evenly.  I also gently shake the pan back and forth a few times.
  5. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow the bars to cool while you make the icing.

FOR THE BROWNED BUTTER ICING

  1. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Melt the butter.  Once the butter has melted allow the butter to brown.  This will take about 4 to 5 minutes.  Slightly lift the pan from the burner and swirl the butter around in it, every few seconds.  Don’t walk away from it.  It can go from browned to burnt very fast.  The butter should be a golden brown and foamy with little flecks of brown pieces in it.  Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a medium size bowl.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and half & half.  Using a hand mixer, mix until smooth and easily spreadable.
  3. Spread the icing over the slightly warm bars.
  4. Allow the icing to set up and slice into bars.  You can slice these into 20 small bars or 16 large ones, but either way, they will disappear within minutes!!
  5. If you happen to have leftovers, wrap them securely and they will stay fresh for up to 3 to 4 days.