Brown Sugar Banana Bread

If you’re wondering whether or not you need another banana bread recipe, I’m here to say abso-freaking-lutely!! Especially this easy delicious brown butter, fig preserves, brown sugar banana bread recipe.

I’m talking super moist, full of chunky fig preserves, classic banana cozy flavor with a crunchy brown sugar top crust. This is the ultimate fall banana bread recipe. The nuttiness from the brown butter mixed with the fall spices should give you all those satisfying tummy feels.

Slather a warm slice with creamy whipped butter and welcome in the new season.

Ingredients You Will Need

• over ripe bananas
• dark brown sugar
• unsalted butter
• mascarpone cheese
• large eggs
• all purpose flour
• cinnamon and nutmeg
• pure vanilla extract
• chunky fig preserves

How to Brown Butter

Brown butter is a magical ingredient that I love adding to cookies, cakes, and quick breads. You simply cook the butter slowly in a skillet on the stove util it transforms into a lovely amber color. Offering a nutty and bold flavor additive to your recipe.

1. Unsalted Butter: Cut room temperature butter into tablespoon slices. Butter that is too cold will splatter and burn easily.
2. Light Skillet Pan: When browning butter its important to use a lightly colored pan so you can monitor the color as it cooks.
3. Place butter pieces into the pan and cook on medium heat, stirring slowly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
4. After the butter has melted it will begin to sizzle and foam.
5. Continue to gently stir for about 5-8 minutes until the butter turns a golden brown.
6. The foam will begin to dissipate and the dark milk solids seen on the bottom of the pan will start to toast.
7. The brown butter will give off a lovely rich, nutty, and super buttery aroma.
8. Once the foam has died down and you see the brown specs on the bottom of the pan, Immediately remove the pan from the heat and scrape the browned butter into a heat proof dish to cool.
9. If you leave the butter in the hot skillet, it may burn.
10. Allow butter to cool to room temperature before using in the banana bread.

Tips to Make Brown Sugar Banana Bread

• Brown your butter first since it takes a few minutes to prepare. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature before adding it to the bread batter.
• Use over ripe bananas! If you only have fresh ones, place them in a closed paper bag for a day and you’ll be good to go.
• I prefer to measure out the mashed bananas to 1.5 cups instead of guessing based on how many bananas I will use.
• Use chunky fig preserves for this recipe. I find that Bonne Mamman Fig Preserves are the most natural option with the biggest chunks.
• Dark brown sugar is a must to create the moist banana bread texture and added molasses flavor. If you don’t have dark brown sugar it can be swapped for light brown sugar.
• Mascarpone also gives moisture to this amazing banana bread. I chose it over sour cream and greek yogurt because of the slight thickness plus overall taste. Mostly because I’m a huge fan of eating crackers topped with mascarpone and fig preserves.
• Use room temperature mascarpone and eggs.
• No need for a mixer on this recipe, everything is done by hand with a whisk and a bowl.
• Don’t over work your batter.
• Line the 9X5 loaf pan with overhanging parchment paper for easy removal. Bake you banana bread on the middle rack of the oven.
• Always check doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center for a slight covering of moist crumbs.
• Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan.

How to Store Banana Bread

A cooled loaf of banana bread should be stored at room temperature in an air tight container, wrapped in plastic, or aluminum foil. It should keep fresh up to 4 days on your counter, if not devoured sooner.

Do Not store banana bread in the refrigerator. The cool air will remove the moisture and dry out this amazing loaf.

MORE BREAKFAST BREAD RECIPES TO TRY!

• Moist Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Moist Pumpkin Bread
• Zucchini Banana Bread
• Chocolate Oat Banana Bread
• Orange Ginger Honey Cakes

Brown Sugar Banana Bread

By Jenn

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients 

• ▢ ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 ¼ cups ( 282 grams ) all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 1 cup (220 grams) dark brown sugar packed, divided
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (341 grams) over ripened mashed bananas
• ▢ ½ cup (112 grams) mascarpone cheese room temperature
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅓ cup (107 grams) chunky fig preserves

Instructions

Brown the Butter

• First, brown your butter so it has time to cool.
• Slice butter into tablespoon chunks and place in skillet on medium heat.
• Stir slowly with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. After the butter has melted it will begin to sizzle and foam.
• Continue to gently stir for about 5-8 minutes until the butter turns a golden brown. The foam will begin to go down and the dark milk solids seen on the bottom of the pan will start toast.
• The brown butter will give off a lovely rich, nutty, and super buttery aroma. Once the foam has died down and you see the brown specs on the bottom of the pan, immediately remove the pan from the heat and scrape the browned butter into a heat proof dish to cool.

Banana Bread

• Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C) and lightly spray line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non-stick baking spray. Then, line the bottom with parchment paper that hangs over the longer sides of the pan like wings.
• In a medium bowl hand whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
• Using a separate large bowl combine browned butter with ¾ cup of the dark brown sugar. Hand whisk together until well combined.
• Add the following ingredients one at a time and gently mix until incorporated. Hand whisk in mashed bananas, then eggs, mascarpone, and pure vanilla extract.
• Next, sprinkle flour mixture a ½ cup at a time into the wet mixture, gently whisking enough to completely mix in flour without over working batter.
• Then, fold the fig preserves into the batter with a rubber spatula.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of dark brown sugar evenly across the batter. Transfer loaf pan tp the middle rack of the oven.
• Bake for 65-70 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
• Place pan on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes before lifting loaf from pan by pulling upward on the over hanging parchment paper.
• Slice and serve.