These ooey gooey banana bars really live up to their name. They feature a buttery sweet and moist banana cake that pairs perfectly with a creamy and delicious salted caramel frosting. The flavor and texture of these bars is truly incredible – they’ll be a perfect addition to any party, a treat the whole family will love, and a new favorite way to use up those leftover bananas!
If you love banana recipes, you’ll really love these ooey gooey banana bars – they’re one of the best banana desserts we’ve tried. They are richer and sweeter than banana bread, with a more moist and creamy texture than banana cake, and so delicious that you might have a hard time stopping at just one. Give this one a try next time you need a crowd-pleasing dessert. It will be the star of your next party, potluck, or bake sale, and will have everyone asking for your recipe!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
- Banana lovers will go nuts for these frosted banana bars that are bursting with sweet and creamy banana flavor.
- You can change the frosting flavor or add mix-ins to make lots of great variations on this banana bar recipe.
- It’s a great recipe when you need an alternative to the usual brownie or cookie bars.
- It’s the best way to use up your overripe bananas.
Ingredients
For the bars:
- Unsalted butter (melted)
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Large eggs (room temperature)
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Mashed bananas
For the caramel buttercream:
- Unsalted butter (melted)
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
- Caramel topping
- Whole milk
How to Make Ooey Gooey Banana Bars
Step One: Make the Batter
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar and mix on medium speed until creamy.
- Reduce the speed to low, add the vanilla, and mix until well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to mix on low speed until well combined.
- Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the bananas.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan, spreading it evenly across the entire pan.
Step Two: Bake
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the center is set. Transfer the bars to a wire rack and allow them to cool.
Step Three: Make the Frosting
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, caramel topping, and salt on low to medium speed for 3 minutes or until well combined.
- Add the milk and mix for another 2 minutes on low speed.
- Once the banana bars have cooled, top with the buttercream frosting.
Tips and Suggestions
- Use very ripe or brown bananas for a bar that’s extra gooey and sweet.
- To ripen your bananas faster, put them in a paper bag and place them in the refrigerator.
- When making the buttercream, be sure the butter is at room temperature. Cold butter will cause the buttercream to seize up.
- For best results, start with the whisk attachment when mixing the buttercream, then switch to the paddle attachment to smooth it out and remove large bubbles.
Variations
- Instead of using buttercream, spread a chocolate ganache over the top of the bars.
- Decorate the bars with dried banana chips, mini chocolate chips, or pecans.
- You can add chocolate chips to the batter to turn these into chocolate chip banana bars. Peanut butter chips will work too!
- Make them Elvis-inspired by topping with peanut butter frosting and sprinkling with bacon crumbles.
How Do I Store Ooey Gooey Banana Bars?
Place the bars in an airtight container with a paper towel at the bottom or cover them with plastic wrap. You can store them at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can I Make Them Gluten Free?
I haven’t specifically tried to make a gluten free version, but you should be able to do so by substituting gluten-free flour for the all purpose flour and adding a ¼ of a teaspoon of xanthan gum.
More Bar Recipes
Ooey Gooey Banana Bars
Ingredients
Banana Bars
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
Caramel Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup caramel topping
- 1½ teaspoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of a standing mixer, on medium speed, add the butter and brown sugar and mix until creamy.
- Reduce the speed low speed, and add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Begin to add the eggs one at a time, continue to mix on low until well combined.
- In a medium sized bowl add the flour and salt and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, slowly, mix until well combined.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the bananas.
- Pour the batter into an even layer on the baking pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is set.
For the Salted Caramel Buttercream
- In a large bowl of a stand, with a paddle attachment add the butter, sugar, salt, and caramel topping and mix on low-medium until well combined for about 3 minutes.
- Add the milk and mix for another 2 minutes on low speed.
- Once the banana bars are cool, top with the buttercream.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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