Banana Bread Bars with Salted Caramel Swirl
Moist banana bread gets an upgrade with a salted caramel swirl baked inside and drizzled on top of toasted pecans. Baked in a square baking pan instead of a loaf pan means more surface area for all that delicious caramel richness. *Quick Note Before You Dive In: This recipe card covers the basics, but if you want to tips on achieving that perfectly moist interior, scroll back up! Everything you need for foolproof results is in the post.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 ½ cups ripe mashed bananas about 5
- 1 cup salted caramel sauce warmed
- 2 ripe bananas
- ¼ cup pecan halves.
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper long enough to extend over the sides as handles.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the brown sugar and continue beating until well combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating before adding the next.
- Add the mashed bananas and stir with a soft silicone spatula until combined. It is normal for the mixture to appear curdled; it will sort itself out when the flour is added.
- Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. It is important not to over-mix the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, making sure to get it into the corners.
- Drizzle 1/3 cup of the warmed caramel sauce over the batter. Create caramel ribbons by taking a knife and swirling the caramel into the top layer of the batter,
- Peel and cut the 2 bananas in half lengthwise. Gently push them (cut side up) into the batter.
- Place the pecans between the banana slices, gently pushing them into the batter.
- Place the baking pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it is not quite fully baked, continue baking in 5-minute increments until done.
- Once the banana bread is done, place the pan on a wire cooling rack and brush approximately 1/3 cup of the caramel sauce over the top while it is still warm.
- Allow the banana bread to cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- Cut the banana bread into 16 equal bars and drizzle them with the remaining caramel sauce if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
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