Have you ever cut into a banana bar and gotten more bar than frosting? These Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting fix that on purpose: a thin layer of banana batter baked in a jelly roll pan, then topped with a genuinely thick layer of cream cheese frosting once it's completely cool.
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Why this one works
The sour cream and buttermilk in this batter are what keep these bars soft for days, not just the afternoon you bake them. Most banana bar recipes use a pan that's too small for the amount of batter, so you end up with a thick bar and a thin scrape of frosting on top. This one is built wide on purpose, so the ratio actually favors the frosting.
These take about 45 minutes start to finish, and the frosting comes together in the time it takes the bars to cool. Let them chill before you cut them or the frosting pulls instead of slicing clean.
Ingredients
You only need pantry staples to make these delicious banana bars.
Ingredient Notes:
Butter goes into both the bars and the frosting, and it needs to be genuinely soft, not just left out for ten minutes. Soft butter creams evenly with the sugar and blends smooth into the frosting without lumps.
Granulated sugar sweetens the bars and helps the butter cream up light, which is what gives these a tender crumb instead of a dense one.
Eggs should also be room temperature so they incorporate into the batter smoothly instead of seizing the cold butter back up.
Sour cream and buttermilk both go into the batter for moisture and a little tang that balances the sweetness. Between the two of them, this is what keeps the bars soft for days instead of drying out.
Vanilla extract goes into both the batter and the frosting.
Flour, baking soda, and salt are whisked together before they hit the batter so the baking soda is distributed evenly instead of clumping in one bite.
Overripe bananas with a good number of brown spots give you the most flavor and natural sweetness. Under-ripe bananas leave the bars bland.
Ingredient Notes
Cream cheese should be full-fat and block-style, softened.
Powdered sugar builds the body of the frosting. Add it gradually, a cup at a time, so it incorporates smoothly instead of clouding your kitchen in sugar dust.
Instructions
These easy bars come together in a few simple steps.
- Step 1: Start by creaming the butter and sugar in a bowl and then add the sour cream and stir.
- Step 2: Next add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and beat well.
- Step 3: Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Step 4: Finally add the mashed banana and stir until completely incorporated.
- Step 5: Spread the batter in a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper and bake.
- Step 6: Make the frosting! Cream the butter and cream cheese together, then add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix until the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is the desired consistency.
My best Tips
Use genuinely room temperature ingredients. Room temperature butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk cream together smoothly. Cold ingredients fight each other and leave you with a lumpy batter.
Reach for the spottiest bananas you have. Overripe bananas add both moisture and sweetness. If yours aren't there yet, a paper bag on the counter speeds that up in a day or two.
Use a true 10x15-inch jelly roll pan. That size is what gives you the ratio this recipe is built around. A smaller pan means a thicker bar and less frosting per square.
Chill the bars before you cut them. Chilling firms up the frosting so it slices clean instead of pulling and smearing, and it also makes the bars easier to cut into even squares.
FAQs
Yes. Wrap them tightly and freeze up to three months, frosted or unfrosted.
Yes, simply thaw the bananas and drain off any extra liquid before adding them to the batter.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, yes, they should be kept in the fridge rather than left out at room temperature.
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Recipe
Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Banana Bars
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 medium overripe bananas, mashed
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
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Instructions
To make the Banana Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 10 x 15" jelly roll pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time and mix thoroughly. Stir in sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla.½ cup butter,, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 2 eggs, ½ cup sour cream, , ½ cup buttermilk, , 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the batter until just combined. Fold in the mashed banana.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 4 medium overripe bananas, mashed
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting.
To make the Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, mix butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.½ cup butter, , 8 ounces cream cheese,
- Add the vanilla, then the powdered sugar a cup at a time and mix until smooth.1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 cups powdered sugar
- Thin with milk if necessary.
- Spread over the fully cooled bars.
Notes
- Room temperature butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk cream together smoothly. Cold ingredients leave the batter lumpy.
- Use bananas with plenty of brown spots for the best flavor and sweetness.
- Chill the bars before cutting for clean slices.
- Because of the cream cheese frosting, store bars in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature for 4-7 days.
- Freeze frosted or unfrosted bars, tightly wrapped, up to 3 months.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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