Frosted banana nut bars are soft, loaded with bananas, and an easy way to use up ripe bananas. I've included ingredient amounts to make a 9x13 pan or a large sheet pan to share with a crowd! Originally shared in 2021, this post has been recently updated to include new imagery and detailed instructions. This post contains an affiliate link.
You might also like our Bob Evan's copycat banana bread, our pumpkin double chocolate chip muffins or our sugar cookie bars!
Banana bars hold together well enough to be finger food or served on a plate with a fork like cake. They are iced in vanilla frosting (or cream cheese frosting) and sprinkled with walnuts. I like making a big batch and baking it in a half sheet pan, but I've included directions and ingredient amounts to make a regular (9x13) or large batch (13x18) so that you can make exactly what you need.
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🥣Ingredients
- Butter. I always bake with salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you'd like.
- Sour cream adds moisture and rich texture to the banana bars.
- White sugar
- Eggs for richness and texture.
- Homemade vanilla extract adds great flavor.
- Ripe bananas. See my tips for using frozen bananas.
- Baking soda and salt for leavening and flavor.
- All purpose flour works great and is my go-to for most baked goods.
👩🍳Directions
- Mix sugar, butter, and egg together. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Spread batter in a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
- Mix frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled banana bars. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts (optional). Slice into 12 bars.
Note: You can cut right into the bars, but I find that it is easier to slice the bars after allowing the frosting to set for 30 minutes or so.
🍌Sheet Pan Banana Bars
To make a 13x18" half sheet pan of banana bars, double all batter ingredients except for eggs (use 3 eggs). Spread in a greased half sheet pan and bake for 28-30 minutes.
You don't need to double the frosting recipe, as that would be way too much. You can either use the same amount and spread it a little thinner or make 1.5 batches of frosting.
A half sheet pan will yield at least 24 banana bars.
How to Freeze Ripe Bananas
I used to stress about quickly using up my overripe bananas by making muffins or bread, but I don't anymore. When I have a few bananas that are too ripe for my liking, I simply peel them and place them in a freezer bag. Because they'll last in the freezer for a few months, you can continue adding bananas to the bag until you are ready to make a batch of banana bars with them!
Frozen bananas DO NOT thaw well for eating "fresh" as they get juicy and the texture changes, but they DO work well for baking. You can't tell the difference between using fresh bananas or frozen/thawed bananas once baked.
How To Use Frozen/Thawed Bananas In Baking
To thaw frozen bananas for baking, place the bag on the counter and allow them to sit for an hour or two. You can also place them in the refrigerator overnight. They will look sketchy, but will bake up beautifully. Drain off any juice, then mash and bake as normal.
Banana Nut Bars
Ingredients
Banana Bars
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 Tablespoons milk
- ½ cup chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Mix butter and sugar together. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix in mashed bananas.
- Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Spread batter in a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
- Mix frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled banana bars. Sprinkle with ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional).
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