There are few better ways to use up overripe bananas then by whipping up a batch of banana bread. But what happens when you have a handful of super ripe bananas and all of the recipes for banana bread you can find include ingredients that you don’t have on hand? Well, that’s where I come in. I’ve created a fantastic banana bread without brown sugar recipe that also doesn’t use things like milk, buttermilk or sour cream.
One thing I love about making banana bread is that I never have to worry if my bananas are getting too ripe. As soon as I think that a banana is too ripe to be eaten on its own, I chuck it straight in the freezer and when I have enough, I whip up a loaf of this comforting quick bread.
Considering it also only takes about fifteen minutes to mix together (unlike my Armenian gata recipe that takes about 15 hours to complete!) and uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry or fridge, there is no reason not to recipe a go. You won’t regret it, I promise!
How to Make Banana Bread Without Brown Sugar
So without further ado, let’s talk about how to make this banana bread! This recipe is simple, but browning the butter does take a little bit of attention (it doesn’t really take a lot of time though).
We’ll start with browning the butter because we are going to want that to have a bit of time to cool off before we add it into the banana bread batter.
You can skip this step and simply melt the butter and move on with your life, but browning the butter really gives the banana bread a more complex and nutty flavour and I highly recommend you just spend the minute longer it takes to brown the butter than it does to simply melt it. It’s also what makes my chocolate chip cookies or even my roasted butternut squash so delicious!
If you’ve never browned butter before, it is super super easy. It can help if you do it in a light-coloured saucepan rather than a dark one just so you can easily avoid burning, but it’s not super necessary if you’re vigilant.
All you need to do is melt your butter over medium heat in a small saucepan until it starts foaming. Keep the heat on until the foam starts to dissipate and the butter begins to smell nutty.
Turn off the heat as soon as you see the milk solids begin to brown (it will continue to toast a bit off the heat so you really don’t want it to burn) and transfer the butter into a small heatproof bowl or measuring cup, set it aside and allow it to cool slightly before we add it into our wet ingredients.
Now is a great time to preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour a standard-sized loaf pan. Using butter and flour on the loaf pan will help the banana bread cling to the sides of the pan and rise better. It also makes it come out perfectly with no hassles once it’s baked.
Next, in a large bowl whisk together your flour, baking soda and salt. Then add in your chopped walnuts (these are optional, by the way, but I like the texture they add) and mix them in with the dry ingredients. Ensuring the walnuts are well coated in the flour will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of your batter once the wet ingredients have been added.
In a small bowl, mash three very ripe bananas until smooth. When I say very ripe, I mean it. I tend to let them go very very brown (so much that I wouldn’t really want to eat it if it wasn’t going into banana bread) before I bake (or, more likely, throw in the freezer for future banana bread endeavours).
Add in your sugar, eggs, plain yoghurt, brown butter and a splash of vanilla extract. Whisk these all to combine.
Now, make a well in your dry ingredients and pour in your wet ingredients. Fold these together just until all of the flour is completely incorporated. You don’t want to overmix the batter and risk a tough banana bread, however, you also don’t want to undermix and have pockets of unincorporated flour in the final baked banana bread.
Once you’ve mixed your batter, transfer it into your prepared loaf pan, smoothing out the surface and ensuring that it’s evenly distributed with a spatula.
Then, move it into the oven and bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. This can take a bit longer or shorter depending on your oven, so just make sure to keep an eye on it.
Pull it from the oven and allow your banana bread to cool in the loaf pan for about five to ten minutes before unmolding it and allowing it to cool completely on a wire rack. You can cut into it when it’s still warm, just note that it may not be as easy to cut when it is cool completely.
All that’s left to do is enjoy your banana bread! The loaf will keep, well wrapped at room temperature, for about four to five days. It also freezes very well for up to three months.
Brown Butter Banana Bread Without Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 250 g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 5 g (1¼ tsp) baking soda
- 3 g (½ tsp) coarse sea salt (see note)
- 100 g (⅔ cup) walnut halves chopped (optional)
- 3 bananas very ripe
- 150 g (¾ cup) sugar granulated or caster
- 50 g (¼ cup) plain yoghurt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a standard-sized loaf pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring occasionally, until it begins to foam, the foam dissipates and the milk solids begin to brown and it takes on a pleasant, nutty aroma. Transfer to a heatproof dish and allow to cool slightly
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add walnuts and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Add the sugar, yoghurt, brown butter, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold together until all the flour is incorporated. Transfer to prepared loaf pan.
- Move to the oven and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before unmolding and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Use the weight measurement of salt rather than the volumetric measurement if at all possible. Different brands and types of salt can vary, so going by weight is going to be the most consistent option.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making a delicious banana bread without brown sugar is incredibly easy and gives you excellent results. So next time you’ve let your bananas get a bit too ripe, make sure to whip up this quick cake!
Are you searching for a great banana bread recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
