Description
A rich, moist banana nut bread featuring a complex brown butter date swirl. The combination of toasted brown butter and caramel dates elevates this classic loaf, making it perfect for sharing or enjoying as a family snack.
Ingredients
Scale
- 225 g unsalted butter, divided (1/3 cup for swirl, 2/3 cup for glaze)
- 150 g Medjool dates, finely chopped and divided (2/3 cup for swirl, 1/3 cup for glaze)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 350 g all-purpose flour (2 3/4 cups)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 400 g very ripe bananas, mashed (1 3/4 cups)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk or water (for glaze)
Instructions
- Prepare Pan and Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper.
- Make Brown Butter Date Swirl: Brown 75 g of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden and nutty (approx. 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in 100 g chopped dates and cinnamon, then set aside to cool.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients and Sugars: In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add Eggs: Whisk in the eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Fold Batter and Walnuts: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Layer and Swirl Batter: Spread half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Dollop half of the brown butter date mixture over the batter, then gently swirl with a knife. Add the remaining batter, top with the rest of the date mixture, and repeat swirling.
- Bake Loaf: Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Glaze: While the bread cools, brown the remaining 150 g butter as before. Strain and cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk/water, 50 g mashed dates, and 2 tablespoons of the cooled brown butter, whisking until smooth and pourable.
- Glaze and Serve: Drizzle the glaze generously over the completely cooled banana bread. Garnish with additional chopped dates if desired.
Notes
Use very ripe bananas (with black spots) for the sweetest flavor and most tender texture. Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent a dense, tough loaf. Store the finished bread wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze slices in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 545 kcal
- Sugar: 41 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
Keywords: banana bread, moist bread, nut bread, date swirl, brown butter, baking, dessert, snack, loaf, sweet treat