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Quick Brown Butter Banana Bread with Toasted Walnuts

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This quick brown butter banana bread is a happy accident that turned into a favorite. It’s moist, tender, and packed with nutty, toasty flavor from browned butter and crunchy walnuts.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter
  • 3 medium ripe bananas (about 1 cup or 240g mashed)
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (60g) walnuts, chopped and toasted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray. Optionally, line with parchment paper.
  2. Brown the butter: Place ½ cup unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt, then swirl occasionally. After 3-4 minutes, it will foam and bubble. When small brown specks appear and it smells nutty, remove from heat immediately. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Toast the walnuts: In a dry skillet over medium heat, stir the chopped walnuts for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  4. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until smooth (a few lumps are fine).
  5. Add the cooled brown butter, ¾ cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the bananas. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  7. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  8. Reserve 2 tablespoons of toasted walnuts for topping, then fold the rest into the batter.
  9. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved walnuts on top, pressing gently.
  10. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If browning too quickly after 40 minutes, tent with foil.
  11. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing (about 1 hour).

Notes

Brown butter can burn quickly; watch closely. Do not overmix the batter. For best flavor, use very ripe bananas. To test baking soda freshness, drop a little into vinegar; it should fizz vigorously.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana bread, brown butter, quick bread, walnuts, easy recipe, weeknight dessert

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/quick-brown-butter-banana-bread-with-toasted-walnuts-easy-30-min-recipe/