Our Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are the ultimate crowd-pleasers! Here’s why you’re about to fall head over heels. Picture this: a soft, banana-infused haven of sweetness, baked to golden perfection, and then generously smothered in the creamiest cream cheese frosting you can imagine.
We have A LOT of experience baking with bananas. For some more desserts with tons of banana flavor, check out our: No Bake Banana Pie, Banana Pudding Brownies, or our Banana Roll Cake.
We actually have a whole roundup just featuring our Banana Dessert Recipes. Check it out!
Why You Will Love Banana Bars
- EASY RECIPE – This recipe has just a few, simple ingredients and is super easy to make. It’s a great dessert recipe for beginners or a fun one to let the kids help out with!
- TEXTURE EXTRAVAGANZA – Imagine sinking your teeth into a soft, moist banana-infused bar, only to be met with the smooth, velvety texture of cream cheese frosting. The contrast in textures – the tender bite of the bar and the luscious creaminess of the frosting – makes each mouthful a delightful experience.
- NOSTALGIC COMFORT – Banana bars with cream cheese frosting evokes a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of homemade treats and cozy family gatherings.
- VERSATILITY – This recipe isn’t just a personal favorite; it’s a crowd-pleaser. Whether you’re hosting a family gathering, a potluck, or just treating yourself, banana bars with cream cheese frosting are sure to win over taste buds. The versatility of this dessert makes it suitable for various occasions, from casual snacks to celebratory desserts.
Banana Bars Recipe
These banana bars are really like a denser form of banana bread. But their smaller, bite-sized form makes them super easy to eat with your fingers and…. all the more addicting! And they are so easy to make! For step-by-step instructions, check out the recipe card below. But here is what you’ll need to get started:
- FLOUR – Any brand of all-purpose flour will work.
- BAKING SODA – A leavening agent that helps these bars get that soft texture.
- SALT – It’s always important to bake with a little salt to balance the sweetness of the sugars.
- BUTTER – Unsalted and softened.
- SUGAR – White, granulated sugar.
- BANANAS – Make sure they are very ripe and easily smashed.
- EGGS – If possible let your eggs come to room temperature before using.
- VANILLA EXTRACT – We always recommend using a high quality vanilla extract for any baking recipes.
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING – Any brand will do.
How To Ripen Bananas?
If you don’t have some ripe bananas on hand. And, yes, they can often be hard to find at the store.. Then no worries!
You can just preheat your oven to 300 degrees and put your bananas on a baking sheet to bake them for about 15 minutes. You’ll know they are done when the skin gets black.
Yes, you can also microwave your bananas for about 30 seconds to ripen them if you are in a real hurry.
Another thing we like to do is simply freeze our bananas when they are ripe. We often have a couple of bananas left over on our counter top that didn’t get eaten at peak ripeness. We love to just cut them into smaller pieces, put them on a baking sheet and let them freeze for about 30 minutes. Once hard, we toss them into a freezer bag and have perfectly ripe bananas whenever we need them!
Storage and Freezing
You can store leftover Banana Bars in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Due to the frosting being made with Cream Cheese, this dessert should not be kept out in room temperature for more than two hours. If you choose to use a different kind of frosting, you can store them at room temperature.
Banana Bars freeze well. I’d cut them into bars, put them on a baking sheet and flash freeze them until the frosting is hard, Then you can freeze them together, separated by parchment paper in a freezer bag or freezer safe container. Enjoy them as a frozen treat or let them thaw a bit in your refrigerator before consuming.
Notes and Variations
- LET THE BARS COOL – Make sure you let the Banana Bars fully cool before adding the frosting.
- ADD NUTS – Adding any walnuts, pecans or sliced almonds to the batter would be delicious. You can also sprinkle crushed nuts on top of the frosting.
- ADD DRIED FRUITS – Adding dried cranberries or raisins would be delicious.
- CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BARS – Need I say more?!?!?!
- OTHER TOPPING IDEAS – Drizzle the frosting with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce. Or top with toasted coconut flakes. Or simply topped with some slices of fresh banana!
We hope you enjoy this Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. We’d love to know how it turns out in the comment section. Happy Eating!
Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick, butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 cup mashed ripe banana about 3 bananas
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tub 16 oz, cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 10x15x1 baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add butter and sugar and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.
- Add banana, eggs and vanilla and beat well. Beat in flour mixture just until combined.
- Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are brown, center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan before adding frosting.
- Spread frosting on top of the banana bars and cut and serve immediately or store loosely covered until ready to serve.
Nutrition
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