Banana Bars
Light and sweet Banana Bars with cream cheese frosting are like banana bread in cake form! Made in a jelly roll pan with extra ripe bananas, this recipe is quick and fun.
Servings 24 bars
Calories 258kcal
Equipment
- Baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (300g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 3 large eggs (150 grams)
- 1 ¼ cup mashed very ripe bananas (286g, about 3 bananas)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened (227g)
- ½ cup butter softened (113g)
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (360g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with baking spray and line it with parchment.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until the mixture is creamy, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined before adding the next. Stop and scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the bananas and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.
For the Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed until creamy, scraping bottoms and sides as needed, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly add the confectioners' sugar. Once incorporated, beat in the vanilla. Increase the speed to medium, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
- Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled banana layer and cut into 24 bars. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Use ripe or overripe bananas. Very ripe or overripe bananas have the sweetest flavor and are easily mashed and incorporated into the batter.
- Grease and line the jelly roll pan. For easy removal and crumb-free serving, make sure to grease the jelly roll pan with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper. You may need to use wide parchment paper to span the width of the pan. Leave a little extra parchment on each end to help you slide the cake out of the pan after it cools if desired.
- Cream the butter and sugar well. Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high for about 4 minutes until creamy. This will make the bars smooth, sweet, and perfectly light.
- Add a mix in. Make chocolate chip banana bars by stirring in ½ cup of chocolate chips into the batter! You can also add ½ cup of chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or peanut butter chips to the batter before spreading it in the pan. Top the frosting with additional nuts, coconut, or chocolate.
- Cool the bars before frosting. To prevent the frosting from melting, allow the bars to cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting.
- Top the banana bars with sliced banana, strawberry, or chocolate chips. These bars are perfect as is, but feel extra special if you serve them with freshly sliced banana, strawberries, or even chocolate chips or a drizzle of chocolate ganache. A little garnish adds flavor and visual interest!
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg