One-Bowl Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

My unpopular opinion is: I do not like banana bread! Do you? I know what you're thinking, but hear me out! Usually banana bread made in a loaf pan tends to be dense and dry around the edges. You have to eat it the same day or it just dries out even more.

If I'm going to use up old bananas, I am making these super easy, One-Bowl Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting. They are tender, moist, and full of banana flavor. And because they're made in a sheet pan, they bake more quickly and the edges stay moist for days. I add some mini semisweet chocolate chips to give them a little something extra. Plus the tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect topper, but you can leave it off and still have a great snack, dessert, or breakfast. My youngest prefers these without the frosting. Make them and then comment below to tell us your preference.

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One-Bowl Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield 24

Author Laura

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

30 Min

Super easy, One-bowl recipe for moist, flavorful banana bars that beat banana bread by a mile!

Ingredients

Banana Bars

• 3-4 bananas, past their prime eating window
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips optional, but recommended

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3½ - 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 - 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Banana Bars

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or spray pan with no-stick spray.
2. Add bananas to large bowl. Use mixer to break with them up a little bit.
3. Add butter and sugar and blend until well mixed but with some banana lumps visible.
4. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and blend until just mixed.
5. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix just until no flour is visible.
6. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and set.
8. Cool completely in pan before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Add cream cheese to large bowl. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
2. Beat until smooth. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
3. Add softened butter and blend until smooth. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat about 5 minutes or until very smooth and lighter in color.
4. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend until mixed well and smooth, adding milk a littel bit at a time if needed for proper consistency.
5. Frost cooled bars. Enjoy!

Recommended Products

Half Sheet Pan 11x17

Anchor Hocking Batter Bowl with Lid

Nutrition Facts

Calories

308

Fat

14 g

Sat. Fat

8 g

Carbs

45 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

44 g

Sugar

34 g

Protein

3 g

Sodium

228 mg

Cholesterol

45 mg

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anytime snack, banana bars, breakfast, cream cheese frosting, dessert bars, easy & delicious, overripe bananas, one-bowl recipe

breakfast, dessert, snack

American

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