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Brown Butter Banana Bread with Vanilla Butter
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Brown Butter Banana Bread with Vanilla Butter

Slightly adapted from Brunch @ Bobby's.
Servings 1 loaf
Author Brandon Matzek

Ingredients

For the Banana Bread:

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnmaon
  • 4 medium overly ripe bananas (skins should be black), peeled (see tip above on how to quickly ripen bananas)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
  • Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

For the Vanilla Bean Butter:

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and seeds scraped
  • Pinch of fine grain sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 350°F, and set an oven rack to the middle position. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch loaf pan.
  • Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter turns a deep golden brown color (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a small bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside. Mash bananas using a fork in a medium bowl until smooth. Add sugar, browned butter, honey and egg to the bowl with the banana, whisking to combine. Add the flour mixture, then stir until just combined. Do not overmix here. Fold in the pecans.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and sprinkle the top evenly with turbinado sugar. Bake on the middle rack until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (40 to 50 minutes). Let cool on a baking rack in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool on the rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
  • While the banana bread is cooling, make the Vanilla Butter. Stir together the butter, sugar, vanilla seeds (use the leftover pods for Vanilla Sugar), and salt in a small bowl until combined. Let flavors meld for a little bit before using (I waited 45 minutes). Store any leftover Vanilla Butter in the refrigerator, and let soften before using again.