Buttered Pecan Banana Bread

Moist, utterly cozy and decadent, my buttered pecan banana bread takes traditional banana bread to the next level. Brimming with the warm, aromatic notes of rich brown butter in both the batter as well as the icing, and topped with toasted pecans, this recipe is an absolutely divine treat that will satisfy your sweet cravings!

Banana bread with a deliciously buttery and nutty take

In our household, we tend to overbuy bananas.

For some reason, it seems hard to find perfectly ripe bananas these days at the market that aren't either too yellow and about to turn overly ripe, or way too green to enjoy the day we buy them, or even a day or two later...

So my hubs and I will tend to get a couple of bunches of bananas at different stages of ripeness so we have bananas to use and enjoy for the week, some more yellow for the present moment, and some greener for later in the week.

Now, all of this means that we typically end up with a few too many bananas, and if we don't end up eating them, they end up becoming overly ripe and spotted.

So, I tend to make a lot of banana bread or my banana nut muffins if I'm looking to salvage those spotted bananas for something sweet and tasty!

And because I'm also a major tinkerer when it comes to recipes (especially banana bread, for some reason), I'm always looking for fun and tasty new twists to "up" my banana bread game, like my chocolate banana bread, my cranberry banana bread, or my chocolate chip banana bread with peanut butter icing.

My latest creation is this mouthwatering and ultra decadent buttered pecan banana bread, made with lots of richly flavorful and nutty brown butter, plus toasted pecans on top, all drenched in a creamy, utterly irresistible brown butter icing.

And you know what? I think this just might be our new favorite banana bread recipe, because it's been on repeat in our household. I guess you could say we're bananas for this buttered pecan banana bread!

My recipe for buttered pecan banana bread

Banana bread is just one of those treats that is quick and easy to whip up when one craves something cozy, comforting and sweet to accompany tea, coffee, or a glass of milk. It's pretty perfect for either breakfast, or as a yummy snack, whenever that sweet tooth hits!

Since I often like to add nuts to my banana bread, I had an idea to come up with a really tasty flavor profile for my next recipe, using pecans plus deliciously nutty brown butter. Talk about a combo made in flavor heaven!

Instead of simply using melted butter or oil (or a combo of the two, as I often like to do), I went a step further with my melted butter and made brown butter, which imparts so much flavor to this banana bread recipe. I add it directly into the banana bread batter, plus reserve some to add to the thick, creamy icing that gets drizzled over the layer of toasted pecans on top of the loaf.

The end result is that wonderfully aromatic, rich and nutty flavor of buttered pecans in each and every bite, which makes this banana bread extra cozy and mouthwatering, and a delight to share!

Here's a glance at my buttered pecan banana bread recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prep my brown butter to have ready and on hand to add to my batter, as well as reserve for my icing.
2. Then, I prepare my banana bread batter, top with pecans, and bake for roughly an hour and 5 minutes.
3. Once baked, the buttered pecan banana bread cools, and while it cools, I prep the brown butter icing using the reserved brown butter.
4. When the buttered pecan banana bread has completely cooled, I drizzle the brown butter icing generously all over top of the pecans, then sprinkle over a couple reserved tablespoons of dry-toasted pecans as garnish.
5. I allow the icing to completely set, then slice the buttered pecan banana bread and enjoy.

Recipe

Buttered Pecan Banana Bread

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This decadent buttered pecan banana bread is made with rich brown butter, then topped with toasted pecans and a creamy, brown butter icing!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 1 loaf (serves 9)

Nutrition Info: 537 calories per serving

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Buttered Pecan Banana Bread Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 medium, overly-ripe bananas, mashed smooth
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• ½ cup full-fat sour cream, room temp
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons roughly chopped raw pecans, divided use

Brown Butter Icing Ingredients:

• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted of lumps
• 2 tablespoons brown butter (reserved from above ingredients)
• 4 tablespoons milk, room temp
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch salt (about ⅛ teaspoon)

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your banana bread ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the banana bread, preheat the oven to 350°, and line a 9 by 5 loaf pan with parchment paper that overhangs (for easier lifting of the bread once baked), and a light spritz of cooking spray.
3. Next, prepare the brown butter by adding the unsalted butter to a small sauce pan or skillet (preferably a light colored or stainless steel one so you can see the bottom), and place over medium heat.
4. Once the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow it gently bubble and cook for roughly 5 minutes, slowly allowing the milk solids to become brown on the bottom of the pan and take on a lovely nutty fragrance. Take care not to burn the solids.
5. Pour the brown butter into a heat-proof dish, and reserve 2 tablespoons of this brown butter for the brown butter icing (set this aside), keeping the 6 tablespoons for the batter. Allow it to slightly cool, yet stay liquid and pourable.
6. Next, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, and set these dry ingredients aside for a moment.
7. To a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, the brown sugar and the vanilla, and whisk to blend. Then, add in the eggs and sour cream, the vegetable oil, and the 6 tablespoons of brown butter, and whisk to blend until completely smooth.
8. Add the dry ingredients into the mashed banana mixture, and using a rubber spatula, fold together just until the batter is smooth, taking care not to over mix.
9. Pour the banana bread batter into your prepared loaf pan, then sprinkle the ½ cup of roughly chopped pecans evenly over top, and bake the banana bread for roughly 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes, or until baked through, rotating halfway through the baking. (The pecans will be quite toasted once baked, and this is fine.)
10. While the buttered pecan banana bread bakes, add the 2 tablespoons of remaining chopped pecans to a small skillet, and dry-toast them on medium or medium-high for a minute or two, just until aromatic. Set aside for garnish/topping.
11. Next, gather and prep all of your brown butter icing ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
12. To make the icing, add the sifted powdered sugar to a large bowl, then drizzle in the reserved 2 tablespoons of brown butter, the milk, the vanilla, and the pinch of salt, and whisk very well to create a thick, creamy icing. Set aside.
13. When the buttered pecan banana bread has baked, allow it to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then carefully lift it out using the overhanging parchment paper. Allow the banana bread to completely cool on a wire rack.
14. Once cooled, drizzle the brown butter icing generously over top of the banana bread and over the toasted pecans, allowing it come down the sides and front/back. Then, sprinkle over top of the icing the remaining 2 tablespoons of dry-toasted pecans, as garnish.
15. Allow the icing to set up before slicing and enjoying the buttered pecan banana bread.

Tips & Tidbits for my buttered pecan banana bread recipe:

• Take your time browning the butter: While brown (or browned) butter is good eats, burned butter definitely is not. So when browning your butter in the sauce pan or skillet, take time and adjust your heat to slowly brown those milk solids that accumulate on the bottom of the pan. You're looking for a deep, brown color (not burned), with a delectably nutty aroma. Things can burn quickly, so don't walk away.
• Use overly ripe and spotted bananas: Whenever you're making a banana bread or banana cake recipe, opt for those overly ripe and spotted bananas that are too ripe to eat. Those are wonderfully soft and sweet, mash very easily until smooth, and are just perfect for baking with!
• How to store this buttered pecan banana bread: I like to store this banana bread either whole (as a loaf) or sliced, either under a cake dome (platter with a glass/plastic dome lid), or a large plate, covered with plastic wrap. Storing at either room temp or fridge is fine, just serve at room temp. It is incredibly moist and will keep deliciously fresh for several days, if you'd like to bake it a day or two ahead of serving. In this case, ice it the day you'd like to serve it so the icing is fresh.

Craving more comfy-cozy, banana infused sweets like this? Check out my recipe for Cranberry Banana Bread, Banana Nut Muffins, Chocolate Banana Bread, Banana Donuts, Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting, or even my recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!