Are you looking for a banana recipe idea and craving a sweet dessert? These Frosted Banana Bars are the perfect way to use bananas that are about to go bad in a delicious cake topped with cream cheese icing!
Best Banana Recipes
We nearly always have bananas on hand. Most of them get eaten as snacks by the kids. These Frosted Banana Bars are the sweetest, richest and best banana recipe we have! And we have several great recipes with bananas.
When we have a few extra browning bananas and are craving chocolate we make Chocolate Chip Banana Bars. When we want an easy breakfast or snack item to grab and eat on the go we make Banana Jumbos.
A friend in western Ohio that follows along with all of our recipes often shares her best family recipes. Thank you, Amy, for sharing this recipe! She and her husband are dairy farmers and this banana cake recipe is filled with butter and sour cream and iced with a cream cheese icing that also has butter.
I like knowing that when I buy name brand or store brand dairy products at the grocery store I’m supporting farmers like Amy and her family and many other similar families across the United States. There are lots of farmers that work hard every day to grow the food that is sold in the grocery store!
What To Do With Bananas About to Go Bad
I work hard to keep an eye on how quickly our bananas are ripening so that we can be sure and use them before they get rotten. If we have several bananas that are about to go bad I may freeze a few to use in smoothies or make a banana flavored baked good.
If we only have one or two bananas that are about to go bad I try to make sure we eat those for a snack. Managing produce and using it before it goes bad is a great way to decrease food waste, which cuts down on how much waste goes into landfills and it saves money at the grocery store!
Putting bananas that are about to go bad in the refrigerator will make them turn brown, so I always avoid that. We store bananas on the counter or place them in an airtight bag in the freezer. Bananas may continue to turn slightly more brown in the freezer, the process will be slowed significantly compared to storing on the counter or refrigerator.
What Does a Ripe Banana Look Like
A ripe banana is yellow and fairly firm! The amount of green on the banana peel will decrease as it ripens. As the ripening process continues the banana will get soft and the skin will begin to turn brown. The browning process can happen more quickly than turning from greenish to yellow.
What Should Bananas Look Like For Baking
Bananas used for baking should not have any green on the peel. As the banana peel turns from yellow to brown the banana flavor will strengthen. I like to use bananas that are yellow or have a few brown spots when baking, but this is personal preference.
A piece of the banana can be eaten to determine if you like the flavor before including in a baking recipe. If the banana is too soft and strong tasting I would recommend not using that banana.
How to Make Frosted Banana Bars
- Soften butter and cream cheese prior to beginning the recipe
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla
- Mix flour and baking soda
- Gradually add flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture
- Stir in bananas and spread batter into greased baking sheet
- To make frosting beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy
- Gradually beat in powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency
- Warmer icing spreads easier, also spreads easier on a warm cake
Ingredients Needed To Make Frosted Banana Bars
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Sour Cream
- Flour
- Baking Soda Ripe Bananas
- Cream Cheese
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
Other Easy Cakes for a Potluck or Family Meal
Printable Recipe for Frosted Banana Bars
Frosted Banana Bars
Ingredients
Bars
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 medium ripe bananas mashed (about 1 cup)
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 - 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Grease 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
- Combine the flour, baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in bananas. Spread into greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually beat in enough powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency. Frost bars. Store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Shared on Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday
I hope your readers love this recipe as much as we do! It is always a hit whether it’s for a family gathering, for work, or just as a dessert at home!
Hello. I am wondering if you’ve ever tried freezing this? Considering making two cakes…
Hello! Great question! I have not tried freezing the cake and I’m asking myself if the banana flavor would change very much over time or through the freezing and thawing process…and I don’t know the answer. I should try to test this sometime. If you do give it a try please let me know how it turns out.
Thanks so much for stopping by! ~Jennifer