Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups white sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1¾ cups mashed ripe bananas
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Frosting:

  • ½ cup butter
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan.
Beat white sugar, sour cream, ½ cup softened butter, and eggs in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in bananas and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; mix for 1 minute. Stir walnuts into batter until evenly incorporated. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 27 minutes. Cool.
Melt ½ cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until bubbling and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract into melted butter until a smooth frosting consistency is reached. Spread frosting over cooled banana bars.