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Easy One-Bowl Brown Butter Banana Bread with Walnut Crumb

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This one-bowl banana bread features nutty brown butter and a crunchy walnut crumb topping for a bakery-quality treat that’s simple to make. It uses up ripe bananas and comes together with minimal cleanup.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter
  • 3 medium ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed / 240g)
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (60g) plain yogurt or buttermilk
  • 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
  • 1 teaspoon (2g) ground cinnamon
  • For the Walnut Crumb Topping:
  • ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon (1g) ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • ½ cup (60g) chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. If you don’t have parchment, grease the pan well with butter and dust with flour.
  2. Brown the butter: Place ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt completely, then continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will foam up, then settle down. Watch closely until the milk solids turn a golden-amber color and smell nutty and toasty, about 5-7 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Mash the bananas: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine. You should have about 1 cup of mashed banana.
  4. Combine wet ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add the cooled browned butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ cup yogurt or buttermilk. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
  5. Add dry ingredients: Add 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon directly to the wet mixture. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix—a few streaks of flour are okay.
  6. Make the walnut crumb topping: In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ cup chopped walnuts. Add 2 tablespoons cold cubed butter. Use your fingers or a fork to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
  7. Assemble the loaf: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the walnut crumb topping evenly over the top, gently pressing it into the batter so it sticks during baking.
  8. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The top should be deep golden brown. If the top is browning too quickly after 40 minutes, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
  9. Cool properly: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then use the parchment overhang to lift the bread out and transfer it to the rack to cool completely. Wait at least 30 minutes before slicing for cleaner slices.

Notes

Don’t rush the brown butter; watch it closely as it can burn quickly. Room temperature ingredients help the batter come together smoothly. Measure flour by spooning and leveling for accuracy. For clean slices, let the bread cool completely or refrigerate for an hour before slicing. Toast walnuts for extra flavor.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana bread, brown butter, walnut crumb, one-bowl, easy banana bread, bakery-style banana bread

Find it online: https://vexifood.com/easy-one-bowl-brown-butter-banana-bread-with-walnut-crumb/