Browned Butter Banana Bread Brownies

It seems like either we don't have enough bananas or we have too many.  My little 1 yr. old has been eating a banana every morning recently.  So, I bought a big bunch of bananas on my last shopping trip.  Then, she decided she didn't want a banana every morning anymore.  So, we had too many bananas!  And they seem to ripen even quicker in the summer. 

I had forgotten about those poor bananas sitting in the kitchen until I came across this recipe for Browned Butter Banana Bread Brownies.  I figured it was meant to be since I had all the ingredients on hand and the bananas were ripe and ready to be used.

Brownie Ingredients (printable recipe)

1 1/2 C sugar

1 C light sour cream

1/4 C butter, browned on the stove*

3-4 ripe ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp vanilla

2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt 

Directions 

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium high heat, watch carefully when it reaches a medium brown color turn off heat, let cool slightly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray with cooking spray a 10×15 pan (jelly roll pan). Beat together first 3 ingredients, mix well. Add mashed bananas and vanilla, mix well. Add 1 cup flour at a time, then add baking soda, and salt, mix just until incorporated. Bake 15-20 minutes or until springs back with a light touch and golden brown. 5 minutes before the brownies are done make the frosting.

Browned Butter Frosting Ingredients 

1/2 C butter, browned on stove*

4 C powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp milk

Directions 

In a small sauce pan melt butter over medium high heat, watch carefully when it reaches a medium brown color turn off heat, whisk in 1 C powdered sugar at a time, adding milk as it thickens, then add in vanilla. Pour onto hot from the oven brownies and spread evenly. Cool and serve.

Adapted slightly from What's Cooking with Ruthie

*If you've never made browned butter (I hadn't) here are some helpful instructions from Simply Recipes.  I suggest you read this first.  Otherwise, you might make burned butter on your first try (I did!).

The Results...
This was a delicious way to use up those ripe bananas that my 1 yr. old refused to eat.  She didn't refuse eating these yummy banana brownies!  No one refused eating these banana brownies.  I really liked the extra flavor from the browned butter.  It went very well with the bananas.

Not only does browned butter add extra flavor, it saves calories.  A great tip from What's Cooking with Ruthie is: If butter is browned you can use half the amount and still get the same flavor.
A-W-E-S-O-M-E! 

Just one little thing, I wouldn't exactly call these brownies.  When I think of brownies, I think of dense, chewy bars.  This reminded me more of a Texas sheet cake, but banana flavored.  I know, I'm being nitpicky.  It doesn't matter what you want to call these.  They are simply delicious!

Here are more yummy banana recipes worth trying:
Banana ice cream
Not Your Ordinary Banana Bread
Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

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