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Best Brown Butter Banana Bread with Walnut Streusel

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This isn’t your average banana bread. The brown butter gives it a deep, nutty, almost caramel-like flavor, and the walnut streusel on top gets all crunchy and buttery, making every bite a little different from the last.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
  • 3 medium very ripe bananas (about 1 cup / 240g mashed)
  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • For the Walnut Streusel:
  • 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. It will foam, then the foam will subside, and brown specks will form at the bottom. This takes about 5-7 minutes. When it smells nutty and turns a warm amber color, remove from heat immediately and pour into a large mixing bowl to stop cooking. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the two long sides.
  3. Mash the bananas: In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps. Set aside.
  4. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon (if using). Cut in cold butter cubes using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  5. Mix the wet ingredients: To the cooled browned butter, add granulated sugar and whisk until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla and mashed bananas. The mixture may look curdled; that’s normal.
  6. Combine dry and wet: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a rubber spatula, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  7. Fold in the buttermilk: Gently stir in buttermilk until just combined. Batter will be thick but scoopable.
  8. Assemble: Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle cold streusel over the top, pressing down gently so it sticks.
  9. Bake: Bake for 55-65 minutes, until top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too fast after 40 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
  10. Cool: Let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes. Then lift out using parchment handles and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing, about 1 hour.

Notes

Don’t walk away from the butter while browning; it can go from perfect to burnt in seconds. Keep streusel cold until the last minute to prevent it from sinking into the batter. Check for doneness early; all ovens vary. Use a kitchen scale for flour for consistent results.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter banana bread, walnut streusel, banana bread, easy banana bread, moist banana bread

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