On the hunt for the perfect banana bread? You found it. This easy Brown Sugar Banana Bread is full of rich banana flavor and hints of caramel from brown sugar. It’s topped with an irresistible, buttery brown sugar and honey glaze that will have you obsessed!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Extra moist. All of my banana bread recipes are wonderfully moist, but this one goes the extra mile. Brown sugar naturally adds more moisture to whatever it’s added to.
- Mouthwatering glaze. A simple glaze marries the richness of butter and the caramel notes of brown sugar, with the sweet notes of honey.
- Easy to make. Whisk together your dry ingredients, combine your wet ingredients, and put it all together. Bake, then add your glaze!
What Does Brown Sugar Banana Bread Taste Like?
I’m a banana bread fiend I have quite a few banana bread recipes. For instance, this incredible Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and this Buttermilk Banana Bread.
So, what sets this one apart? First, the brown sugar glaze. With notes of honey and caramel, it delivers an extra layer of sweetness that my other banana breads don’t have. Second, using only brown sugar in the batter makes this loaf extra moist and flavorful. Plus, it has a tiny hint of cinnamon to it. Too good!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you’ll need to make this brown sugar banana bread recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for a printable list.
For the banana bread
- All-purpose flour – A quality 1:1 gluten-free flour will also work here.
- Light brown sugar – If you’d like a deeper, more caramel-y flavor, opt for dark brown sugar.
- Baking soda + kosher salt
- Cinnamon
- Mashed banana – You’ll need roughly 3 medium bananas. They should be pretty ripe. Lots of brown spots. But not totally brown.
- Greek Yogurt – This makes the banana bread extra moist and tender. Make sure you grab plain Greek yogurt (rather than flavored). Sour cream will also do the trick.
- Eggs
- Butter – I always use salted butter. I don’t care what anyone says. It’s the best.
- Vanilla extract
For the glaze
- Light brown sugar – You can use dark brown sugar if you’d like a richer, deeper caramel-y flavor.
- Heavy cream
- Honey – You could use extra brown sugar here in place of honey, but I love the added flavor dimension the honey brings to this glaze.
- Butter – Again. Salted butter! It balances out the sweetness of the glaze beautifully.
How to Make Brown Sugar Banana Bread
Ready to tie on your apron? Here’s a quick overview of how to make it.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9X5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Mixthe wet ingredients. Mix together mashed banana, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Put it all together. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
- Bake. Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Cool. Cool in the pan for 10 min. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together the brown sugar, heavy cream, honey, and butter in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from the heat.
- Cool. Allow the glaze to cool for 5 minutes.
- Glaze the banana bread. Pour the glaze over the fully-cooled banana bread.
Tips for Success
- Get the bananas right. It’s important to make sure your bananas are ripe enough. They should be heavily speckled with brown spots but not fully brown.
- Grease liberally. This banana bread can stick to the pan if it isn’t prepared properly, so make sure to grease yours with plenty of cooking spray.
- Don’t over-mix. When folding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Over-mixing can cause tough banana bread.
- Loosen things up. Before turning the loaf out onto a cooling rack, run a knife around the edges of the loaf pan. It will come out much cleaner that way.
- Cool completely. Allow the banana bread to cool completely before adding the glaze. If it’s still warm, the glaze won’t set up properly on top of the loaf.
- Let the glaze set. Once you take the glaze off of the heat, let it sit for 5 minutes or so. If it’s too hot, it’ll be runny and will melt into the bread instead of sitting on top of it.
How to Store
- Counter: Once the glaze has set on top of the loaf, seal the brown sugar banana bread in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap instead, but the glaze will stick to the plastic.
- Freezer: Allow the glaze to set on top of the banana bread before popping the loaf in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once it has firmed up a bit, wrap the whole loaf in a double layer of plastic wrap. You can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the loaf (or a slice or two) to thaw at room temperature before enjoying. You can also freeze individual slices in airtight, freezer-safe containers.
More Banana Recipes to Try
Brown Sugar Banana Bread with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy brown sugar banana bread recipe will definitely be one of the best banana breads you’ve ever hard.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
- 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (or sour cream)
- 2 eggs
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 1/2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Spray 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray liberally, and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In another bowl, mix together mashed banana, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to release any parts that might be sticking and then remove from pan, transferring it to a wire rack to cool.
Glaze
- In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients, and heat over medium until the mixture reaches a full boil. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes, then pour it over the banana bread. Once the glaze has set a bit, cut the loaf into slices.
Notes
Store airtight for up to 2 days.
Recipe adapted from Back in the Day Bakery
I tried this recipe out cuz i was a little tired of the banana bread recipe I’ve been making for 10 years, and it’s safe to say I’m never turning back! B/c i was short on a few ingredients and in a rush, i made it with roughly 1 cup of brown sugar instead of 3/4 (wanted to finish the bag) and 3 teaspoons of baking powder instead of a teaspoon of baking soda, and it was amazing! My family likes chocolate chip banana bread, so i subbed the chocolate chips for the sweet glaze and it was still a crowd pleaser. Also! I recently made it into mini muffins and it was still amazing— just bump the oven to 375°f and throw them in for 15 minute (for a mini muffin pan, maybe do 20-30 if it’s regular muffins) and they are perfect!!
I just made this with my daughter. We left the glaze off because of calories, the actual bread is amazing though. It’s so moist and flavorful. I added some walnuts, about half a cup I believe, it gave it a nice crunch. I can’t wait to make this again!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Just made these in mini loaf pans, doubled the recipe. My only question is, do these freeze well with the glaze on?
They will taste fine, but the glaze when thawed will be sticky, as opposed to a crusty glaze.
The glaze i just made banana….was wondering if pecans would ok in the glaze
sure!!
O My, you had me on Brown Sugar, Mama. Can’t wait to make this!!
Made this great recipe and put dates and a bit of spice & pineapple ….
Pecans would be nice too !
As for the glaze super yummy…..
Could this be baked in mini loaf pans?
Sure! Just adjust the baking time!
I have not been one to motorboat, but I might make an exception! I actually already have this book and never took notice of this recipe. Beautiful pictures and great points. Indeed we should glaze banana bread with that delicious brown sugar glaze! 😀
Delicious!! I made mine into muffins. Baked at 375* for about 15 mins. Also substituted ww flour for 1/2 the flour. Thanks for sharing this great recipe. 🙂
I found this recipe by searching brown sugar banana bread, since I had a surplus of bananas and only brown sugar in the house. I’m so glad I did, because this is the best banana bread I’ve ever had! I didn’t even use the glaze–but I made up for that glaring oversight by slathering it in butter. Thanks for a great recipe!
I just made this amazing banana bread (using vanilla greek yogurt) and heard “this is the best banana bread I’ve ever had” Thanks Shelly for your amazing recipe, it will def be my go-to banana bread recipe from now on!