Banana Bars

Helpful Tips:

• The best type of banana to use for this recipe is overripe ones. The riper the banana the better the flavor of the bars.
•  You will want your eggs and butter at room temperature. The butter will blend in better for the bars and the frosting.
• The bananas need to be mashed for this recipe.  The best way to mash the bananas is with a fork. Don’t worry if you have larger pieces of banana after mashing them, they will get blended with the mixer when making the bars.
• Don’t overbake the bars, the bars are done baking when they are golden brown. After taking them out of the oven if the center falls slightly don’t worry, they will be fine.
• When making the frosting don’t worry if the frosting seems dry when you start mixing it. Keep beating it and it will become nice and creamy.
• The bars are best stored in the refrigerator since they have sour cream in the frosting. Be sure to remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature.
• Yes, the bars freeze well. They can be frozen for up to a month.

Steps for making Banana Bars

Step one

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a jelly roll pan and set aside.

Step two

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar.

Step three

Add the eggs and mix in.

Step four

Add the sour cream (minus the 2 teaspoons for the frosting), mashed bananas, and vanilla and mix until blended.

Step five

Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the banana mixture and mix until blended.

Step six

Spread the batter in the prepared jelly roll pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven once the bars are baked and place on a cooling rack to cool.

Step seven

While the bars are cooling make the frosting. In a medium bowl combine the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, the 2 teaspoons of sour cream saved from the bars. Mix until creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled bars.

If you are looking for additional bar recipes, check these out:

• Carrot Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Pear Cream Cheese Crumble Bars
• Cranberry Cream Cheese Bars

If you make these Banana Bars I would love to hear about them! Please leave me a comment and a rating.

Banana Bars

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Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 24 bars

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Dawn

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 medium ripe bananas mashed
• 1 cup sour cream save 2 teaspoons for the frosting
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• sour cream saved from the bars

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a jelly roll pan and set aside
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until well blended.
• Add the eggs and blend in.
• Mix in the sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla until the mixture is well combined.
• Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the banana mixture and mix until blended.
• Spread in the prepared jelly roll pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove and cool completely
• While the bars are cooling make the frosting.
• Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl, beat with an electric mixer until well smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the top of the bars.

Notes

1. Best way to use overripe bananas, but don’t worry if you don’t have overripe bananas, any bananas will work.
2. Make sure to have all of you have the butter and eggs at room temperature.
3. Since the frosting has sour cream in the frosting I would suggest that you store the bars in the refrigerator.
4. Yes, these bars freeze well. They can be frozen for up to a month.

 

 

 

Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary with the brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.2g | Protein: 2.1g | Fat: 10.2g | Saturated Fat: 6.3g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 23.6g | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

This recipe was originally published on June 1, 2012. It has been updated with new content and pictures on January 27, 2022.