Well as I mentioned last week, my kitchen failures continued while I was doing my Carroll Cafe cooking. So instead of the planned recipes, I had to quickly come up with some alternatives. A quick text to my aunt, and I got this reliable, delicious recipe that was one of Grandma’s go-to recipes. I can always count on Grandma’s recipes to get me out of pinch, and I had a whole bunch of bananas that needed used up too, so this really worked out.
These banana bars are moist and tender, with a great banana flavor. I topped them with my favorite cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of chopped pecans. Grandma used to mix the pecans into the cake, or you could add mini-chocolate chips to the cake, but by leaving the pecans out of the batter I was able to give people the option of nuts or no nuts. Guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser, these bars were the first thing to sell out at Carroll Cafe.
Frosted Banana Bars
Serves 12-16
- 11 Tbsp (2/3 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large very ripe bananas)
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13″ baking pan with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray, and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Mix in the mashed bananas and the nuts, if desired.
Scoop batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
My Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 pkgs (16oz) cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the butter. Add powdered sugar and then add in the vanilla extract.
