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Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect way to use leftover bananas!
What Do I Do With Ripe Bananas?
When you find a couple of ripe bananas on your counter what is the first thing you think of ? Most likely it’s banana bread! Well, I’ve got another solution for you and it is today’s recipe for delicious banana bars.
The recipe uses a big jelly roll pan so there is plenty to share and it makes a good “potluck” dessert since it makes so much
How to Make Banana Bars
- Cream together sugar, butter and eggs and adding in sour cream and vanilla.
- Mix together your dry ingredients and add into wet ingredients..
- Add in your mashed bananas, I mash mine in the food processor but if you like chunks of banana in yours just mash them with the bottom of a fork.
- Spread into the jelly roll pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes.
- Allow cake to cool.
- Mix together cream cheese frosting and frost cake.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
My favorite part is the cream cheese frosting on top.
- Be sure your cream cheese is softened at room temperature.
- Beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Spread on cooled banana bars.
They are moist and full of yummy banana flavor and the cream cheese frosting is amazing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Banana Bars Need to Be Refrigerated?
If you have any leftover banana bars you will want to refrigerate them because of the cream cheese frosting. I also think they are delicious chilled!
How Do You Get Bananas To Ripen Quickly?
Craving banana bars but there are no ripe bananas on your counter? No worries, I’ve got you covered.
Oven – place the unpeeled bananas on a foil lined baking sheet in a 300 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes. Allow to cool before using.
Microwave – microwave peeled bananas for 30 seconds, then in 10 second increments until it is ripe enough. (This method reduces the flavor and sweetness of the bananas).
Check out more of my favorite banana recipes:
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Banana Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 bananas ripe and mashed, enough to make 1 cup
Frosting:
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter soft
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Cream: sugar, butter, eggs
- Add: sour cream, vanilla
- Combine and add dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt
- Stir in ripe mashed bananas (enough to make 1 cup).
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes in jelly roll pan
Frosting:
- Mix all ingredients together. Spread over cooled banana bars
Nutrition Facts:
PdotTreats says
Delicious! The smell of these baking was heavenly. I was making caramel chocolate pretzel rods while these were cooking and just had to experiment so I made caramel frosting instead of the cream cheese. Another great Leigh Anne recipe. Thanks!
Keri says
Made these for a church event and everyone loved them. Definitely will make again. Love how it makes a bunch for a big crowd.
Nancy says
I made these this morning for my husband to take to a work meeting. I made him try them before he left–and he said that I might be setting the bar too high for the other wives!
I finally had some this afternoon–delicious. I’m not big on cream cheese frosting so I enjoyed mine without, but it was awesome. Thanks for posting this. We always have over ripe bananas and banana bread was getting old!
Leigh Anne says
Julee »
I am so glad your family enjoyed all the fun treats – it sounds like you provided quite a spread. I visited your blog and saw your darling Ceseley. Glad she is doing so well. My Cali was 5 lbs. 4 oz. when we brought her home from the hospital – just a little bag of bones is what we called her. She was 4 weeks early too!
Julee says
My sis-in-law shared your blog with me several weeks ago, and it’s become one of my favorites. Last weekend we had lots of family in town for our daughter’s baby blessing, and it provided a chance for me to try out several of your recipes (e.g., Banana Bars, Lemon White Chunk Cookies, RK Treats, & Nordy Bars). I wanted to try a couple others, but I ran out of time & energy. Everything was yummy and was gobbled up quickly. I had lots of requests for the recipes, so I happily shared your site with them. Thanks so much for sharing!