Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
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These banana bars are tender and moist with a delicious banana bread flavor and a thick layer of cinnamon cream cheese frosting on top. The perfect easy dessert for when you have a bunch of brown bananas!
When it comes to baking with bananas, banana bread is the obvious recipe choice. But these banana bars might be my new favorite banana recipe. They’re a moist, super soft banana cake with a hint of cinnamon and a thick layer of cream cheese frosting on top.
The bars are made in a jelly roll pan, so the recipe makes a big batch. Plus, making the bars in a jelly roll pan means that they aren’t too thick – so you get a delicious ratio of banana cake to cream cheese frosting. Definitely a plus in my opinion.
Making Banana Bars – Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350F (180C) and preparing the pan. For this recipe, you’ll spray the jelly roll pan (15×10 inch) with non-stick cooking spray and then lightly dust with flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. This step is to ensure that the dry ingredients don’t have any lumps and that the baking soda is evenly distributed.
- Then in a separate large bowl, you’ll beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
- I prefer to use a combo of brown sugar and granulated sugar for my banana bars – instead of just granulated sugar like a lot of recipes use – because I find the caramel undertone of the brown sugar makes the flavor so much better.
- Then you’ll mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Beat the mashed bananas and sour cream into the butter mixture. If there’s still a few lumps of mashed bananas – that’s OK.
- I like the addition of sour cream because I find it makes the bars even more moist.
- For the mashed bananas, be sure to measure after mashing. You’ll likely need 3-4 bananas in total. Be sure to cut off any bruises before mashing.
- Then mix the dry ingredients into the batter. Again, if you have lumps of banana – that’s ok.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
- The bars will bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 25-28 minutes. When they’re done baking, the top should look golden and an inserted toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. You should also start to see the sides of the bars pull away from the pan.
Once the bars are cooled, they’re topped with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Whenever making cream cheese frosting, always use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Otherwise, the frosting will be too thin. You’ll beat together the butter and cream cheese until softened, then mix in the powdered sugar, along with a touch of salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. If the frosting seems too thick, you can mix in a little whipping cream (or milk) as needed.
- I love the addition of a little cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting because it pairs so well with the banana flavor.
Recipe Tip
After frosting the bars, I place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This allows the frosting to crust (AKA harden slightly) to give you cleaner cuts.
You’ll love these banana bars because they’re so simple to make and have the perfect banana flavor with a super moist crumb. Best of all – you’ll love the thick layer of cream cheese frosting on top that really takes these to the next level.
More banana desserts to love:
- Banana Cake
- Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cake – this is a beautiful layer cake with chocolate frosting
Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 10×15 inch (25×38 cm) jelly roll pan
Ingredients
Banana Bars
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams), caster sugar works too
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (105 grams), light or dark
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120 ml), from a tub
- 1 1/2 cup mashed bananas , use brown bananas, cut out any bruises before mashing
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams) , softened but still a little colder than room temperature
- 8 ounce cream cheese (226 grams), brick style, full fat
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar (330-440 grams), sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream , or heavy cream, if needed
Instructions
Banana Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a 10"x15"x1" jelly roll pan, then dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamed.
- Mix the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture until you no longer see pieces or lumps of egg.
- Mix the sour cream and mashed bananas into the butter mixture. Note: Be sure to cut any bruises out of the bananas before mashing. Mash the bananas well, then measure. If there are lumps in your batter from the bananas – that's OK.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix them into the batter, starting with the mixer on a low speed or using a wire whisk. I typically do this about 1/2 at a time. When you're finished, there shouldn't be lumps of flour but a lumpy mixture due to the bananas is OK and expected.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 24-28 minutes, or until the top is golden, an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, and the bars are starting to pull away from the edges of the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter to a large bowl and beat until smooth.
- Cut the cream cheese into cubes and add to the bowl. Mix until incorporated.
- Add in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, along with the cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Start with the mixer on a low speed and gradually mix until combined.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of cream as needed, until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
- Ensure the bars are fully cooled, then frost with an offset spatula. If you see the cake crumbs coming into the frosting, place the unfrosted bars in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before frosting.
- Slice the bars with a thin knife. I recommend placing the frosted bars in the fridge for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Flour: Whisk first, then spoon into dry measuring cups and level off the top. Weigh using a scale for the most accurate results.
- room Temperature Ingredients: For the bars, take the butter, eggs and sour cream out of the fridge about 30 minutes before getting started.
- Sour Cream: Use full-fat sour cream for the best results. Plain Greek yogurt works too or an additional 1/2 cup mashed banana.
- Bananas: You will need 3 larger bananas or 4 small bananas. They should be spotty, but not entirely brown. Be sure to cut out any bruises.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Do not use low fat, low calorie or spreadable.
- Nutrition: Information provided is an estimate only and based on 1 bar with frosting, assuming all the frosting is used and the pan is sliced into 20 uniform pieces.
- Storage: Store covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I’m making these tomorrow, but I’m not seeing sour cream in the ingredients. Am I just not reading correctly? Thank you!
Hi Liz,
I’m so sorry about that – thank you for bringing it to my attention. You will use 1/2 cup sour cream.
I love these! They’re the perfect way to use up ripe bananas, and such a fun alternative to banana bread!
Thank you so much, Heidi! I love all banana desserts – but these are definitely one of my favorites