I love banana bread – it is such a treat to have it with a cup of coffee in the morning, or a sweet pick me up for any time of day! I have played around with a number of banana bread recipes, trying recipes with whole wheat flour, then with regular flour, recipes with granulated sugar, and then with brown sugar, and I have finally found a foolproof combination that is a crowd pleaser!
This banana bread recipe uses a few key ingredients that really push it over the top: a combination of brown sugar and regular sugar, greek yogurt, browned butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and whole wheat flour. The brown sugar lends a rich and molasses-like flavor to the bread, which compliments the bananas, the tanginess from the greek yogurt, and the spice from the cinnamon and nutmeg. Another game changer in this recipe is the browned butter – it adds another depth of flavor, a kind of caramel-y note that is so delicious! And last but not least, overripe and speckled bananas are the absolute best for this recipe. The nutmeg and cinnamon spices add a warmth that evoke a sense of the holidays, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, this banana bread will be a welcome addition to your menu!

Brown Butter Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
- 3/8 Cup brown sugar
- 3/8 Cup white granulated sugar
- 3/4 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 Teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 Ripe bananas mashed
- 2 Large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/3 Cup greek yogurt
- 6 Tablespoons of browned butter
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- Topping:
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- preheat oven to 350*. Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl (whole wheat flour through nutmeg), and gently fold with a wooden spoon to ensure there are no clumps of any one ingredient, and set aside.
- To make the browned butter, melt the butter over medium heat until the butter is a pale golden color, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. The aroma will smell slightly nutty when it’s done – remove it from heat and set aside to cool for several minutes.
- Mix mashed up bananas, greek yogurt, vanilla, eggs, and browned butter (make sure the browned butter has cooled!). Lightly fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until all ingredients are combined, still leaving some mashed up bananas.
- Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix.
- Scrape the batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top, and bake for about 55 minutes to an hour, until the banana bread is golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center will come out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer it to a wire cooling rack. This is delicious served fresh out of the oven, as well as at room temperature. Enjoy with a cup of coffee, or simply by itself!
Did you make this recipe?
I want to see your delicious creation! Leave me a comment below, and share a photo and tag me on Instagram with the hashtag, #whatannieseating !
Oh wow it looks delicious!
Thank you! I am a sucker for anything with browned butter in it!