Frosted Banana Bars Recipe + Video

This is a deliciously tender and moist banana bar recipe with a perfect cream cheese frosting. They make a great dessert or sweet breakfast treat!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Servings squares

Calories 547kcal

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan, set aside.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.
1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 cups all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
In a mixer with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar, about 2 minutes.
1 cups sugar, ½ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar
Add in the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and mashed bananas. Mix until it is combined.
2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, ½ cup buttermilk
Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter. Mix just until it is combined.
Pour the batter in the prepared baking pan.
Bake 25-30 minutes.
Test that the middle is baked through by poking with a toothpick, if it comes out clean or with cake crumbs it is ready, if you have batter on the toothpick, loosely cover the cake with foil and bake another 5 minutes.
(if you are using a dark metal baking pan, it will be done closer to 25 minutes)
Cool completely and frost with cream cheese icing.
Frosting Tip: Start with half the frosting, doing a "crumb coat", then finish with the remaining frosting for a pretty top layer. To make swirls in your frosting use the back of a spoon.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or bowl with hand held mixer), combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and HALF the powdered sugar. Mix until it comes together.
½ cup butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 3½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Add the remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix until it is creamy and smooth.

RECIPE TIPS:

Make sure your bananas are totally ripe and will mash down to almost liquid.
Don't skip the buttermilk, you need the acid to activate the baking soda.
Sift the powdered sugar when you make the cream cheese icing, it will make for smoother consistency.
Make sure your butter and cream cheese are softened to the core so you don't end up with lumpy frosting!
To quickly soften bananas separate them from the group stem and place in a paper bag with one ripe apple or banana. OR place unpeeled bananas on a foil lined baking sheet in the oven at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

QUICK BUTTERMILK

½ cup milk mixed with ½ teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir again and it is ready to use.