Brown Butter Banana Walnut Loaf
This loaf upgrades the lunchbox classic by browning the butter until it smells like toasted hazelnuts, then folding in bananas that have been roasted ...
1 loaf (8–10 slices)
American Cuisine
🟡Intermediate★★★☆☆
Nov 15, 2025
4 views
Ingredients
🌾
2 cups
all-purpose flour
260 g, sifted
🥛
2 tablespoons
whole milk
room temperature
📦
1 cup
walnuts
110 g, roughly chopped
🥛
1 cup
unsalted butter
226 g, cut into pieces
📦
¾ cup
dark brown sugar
160 g, packed
🍎
3 large
very ripe bananas
about 1 ½ cups / 375 g after roasting
📦
¼ cup
granulated sugar
50 g
📦
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
🥩
2
large eggs
room temperature
🌶️
¾ teaspoon
fine sea salt
🌶️
½ teaspoon
ground cinnamon
Ceylon preferred
📦
1 teaspoon
baking soda
Categories:🥩protein🥬vegetable🍎fruit🌾grain🥛dairy🌶️spice🫒oil💧liquid📦other
Instructions
Step 1
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 °F (175 °C). Butter a 9 × 5-inch (23 × 13 cm) loaf pan, line with parchment leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides, then lightly butter the parchment; this guarantees straight sides and effortless release.
Step 2
Spread bananas (unpeeled) on a small sheet pan and roast for 12 minutes, until skins blacken and juices begin to seep; roasting converts starches to sugars and intensifies banana flavor. Cool slightly, slit skins, and scrape flesh into a bowl; mash until mostly smooth with a few pea-size pieces for textural intrigue.
Step 3
Meanwhile, place walnuts on a separate tray and toast alongside bananas for 6–7 minutes, until fragrant and lightly darkened; toasting drives off moisture and embeds nutty crunch that will stay crisp inside the moist batter.
Step 4
In a light-colored saucepan, melt unsalted butter over medium heat. Swirl constantly as it foams; within 3–4 minutes milk solids will turn chestnut brown and emit a nutty, hazelnut-like aroma. Immediately pour into a heat-proof bowl to halt cooking; browned butter lends deep caramel complexity.
Step 5
Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, fine sea salt, and ground cinnamon in a medium bowl; dispersing leavening evenly now prevents streaks later.
Step 6
Whisk dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and warm brown butter until satiny. Vigorously whisk in eggs one at a time; mixture will thicken and emulsify, trapping air for a tender crumb. Whisk in vanilla extract and roasted bananas until marbled.
Step 7
Switch to a spatula and fold dry ingredients into wet in two additions, rotating bowl and scraping bottom to avoid pockets of flour. When only a few streaks remain, fold in toasted walnuts and whole milk; mixing just until combined keeps gluten from developing, ensuring a velvet crumb.
Step 8
Transfer batter to prepared pan, doming it slightly in center; this encourages the dramatic split. Bake 55–65 minutes, rotating halfway. A cake tester inserted at 45-degree angle into deepest crack should emerge with a few moist crumbs, internal temperature ~200 °F (93 °C).
Step 9
Cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes—steam will finish setting the crumb—then lift out via parchment and cool completely, at least 1 hour before slicing to allow starches to retrograde and flavors to meld.
✨Chef's Tips
- ★Use a stainless or white pan when browning butter so you can see color change; pull it off heat when solids are the shade of toasted almonds—carry-over heat will push it darker.
- ★Roast bananas skin-on to prevent drying; any leaked juices can be scraped into the batter for concentrated sweetness without extra moisture.
- ★For bakery-style domed top, start oven at 375 °F (190 °C) for first 15 minutes, then drop to 350 °F (175 °C) without opening door; initial high heat sets exterior quickly, letting interior rise dramatically before crust forms.
- ★Store wrapped in foil at room temperature up to 3 days; flavors deepen on day two. To revive, warm slices in a 300 °F (150 °C) oven for 5 minutes—butter re-liquefies, restoring just-baked tenderness.
- ★Freeze individual slices on a tray, then bag; toast straight from freezer for instant café-quality breakfast with a pat of salted butter.
banana breadbrown butterwalnutsbakingcomfort foodbrunch