Banana desserts are so good and always a hit around our house! You might want to check out some of our most popular banana recipes like Homemade Banana Pudding or Paul’s favorite Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie. If you go check, chances are you have some spotty bananas in your fruit basket just waiting to be used. If your family is anything like mine, some weeks you can’t keep the bananas long enough to make something with them and other weeks everybody is over bananas and you end up with a bunch of them getting mushy and overripe on the counter. Of course, banana bread is always a good way to use them up. I have a coconut lime glazed version as well that is a fun and tropical change of pace! But let me introduce you to my other favorite way of using brown bananas: these addictive and irresistible banana bars with penuche frosting! I was at a church potluck a while back when I first spotted a plate of these unassuming looking bars. Amidst the sea of brownies and cookies, the caramel-looking frosting intrigued me. It was love at first bite. The frosting turned out to be a brown sugar penuche frosting, which is AMAZING. They seriously became the talk of the potluck with everybody standing around raving about how it was a total revelation to have what is essentially banana sheet cake with such a different frosting that none of us had tried before. Turns out it was my friend Brian’s recipe and he was kind enough to share it with me so I could put it on the blog! Brian and his wife Jana are good friends (Jana actually helps me with blog stuff and if you are on my mailing list, she is the one who puts those together!) and have had us over for dinner numerous times. Brian’s go-to dessert is a sheet cake, but I definitely think of these banana bars as his signature dish.
What is penuche frosting?
I’m so glad you asked. Penuche (puh-noo-chee) is basically fudge except made with caramelized brown sugar, butter, powdered sugar, and milk. It’s flavor reminds me a lot of pralines, if you have ever tried those! Penuche frosting is basically the same thing except you pour it over the cake while both the cake and frosting are still hot. The timing gets a little tight and okay, it’s not the easiest frosting to work with, but man when you get it right it is incredible. The ultra-soft, light, and fluffy banana cake is the perfect base for the penuche frosting which sets up on top for an amazing textural contrast. I know most banana bars and banana cakes are typically frosted with cream cheese frosting, which is delicious, but this penuche frosting really takes the cake (see what I did there?). If you love this frosting as much as we do, you might also want to try these no-bake penuche cookies or add chopped pecans and turn it into penuche fudge!
What You’ll Need
I love this recipe because we always have everything on hand to make them whenever my family goes off on bananas and I end up with a bunch that need to get used up!
Bananas: The recipe calls for 1 and ½ cups of mashed, ripe bananas. You can see how brown and ugly my bananas were in the photo below. It’s usually about 3 good size bananas, so if you don’t feel like mashing and measuring the bananas, you can skip that step and your banana bars will still turn out just fine. Flour: Some regular all-purpose flour holds up well with the added moisture in this recipe. Butter: You will need butter in both the cake part and the frosting part of the recipe. I almost always use salted butter in my baking and store extra butter in the freezer so I never run out! Eggs: Two eggs help bind the cake together and give it some of its rise so it is light and fluffy. Sugar: There is not doubt about it, this is a sweet treat! There is granulated sugar in the cake layer and the penuche frosting is made with brown sugar and powdered sugar. Sour cream: I love this ingredient and it adds richness, moisture, and tang to the cake base. You can definitely sub Greek yogurt, and I haven’t tried but imagine this cake would also work with an equal amount of buttermilk or even regular milk if that’s all you have on hand. Vanilla extract: This ingredient rounds out flavors in baked goods, making them have a more complex, interesting flavor. I love using my homemade vanilla extract! Baking soda: This works as the leavening agent to lift the cake for a soft, light texture. Milk: The milk is added to the melted butter and brown sugar to make the penuche frosting. Whole milk is my preference for any kind of cooking or baking, but lowfat will work just fine here as well.
How to Make Banana Bars
How to store banana bars
These bars stay fresh and delicious for days on the counter! Just keep them covered in a single layer in an airtight container. We usually just leave them in the pan they were baked in and cover it with plastic wrap so the edges don’t dry out. If you are tight on storage space, you could stack the bars in a smaller container. Just be sure to put a layer of wax paper or parchment paper in between them so they don’t stick to each other. You can also freeze these banana bars for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw on the counter for a couple of hours before serving.
Serving suggestion
Of course these banana bars are yummy all on their own. You can keep things simple and just serve them with a glass of cold milk for an afternoon or evening treat! But they are excellent with a scoop of ice cream. Vanilla goes with everything, but I also really like toasted almond ice cream or strawberry ice cream with these bars. And some sliced fresh fruit like peaches or strawberries can turn this from a simple dessert to something you might serve guests at the end of a nice meal.
More Easy Bar Recipes
Lemon Meringue Pie Bars Easy Rhubarb Breakfast Cake Classic 7 Layer Bars Slutty Brownies [Brownie Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars] Carmelitas (Oatmeal, Chocolate, Caramel Bars)
Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars
Smores Bars Recipe
Oatmeal Fudge Bars
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