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Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Tender banana bars are topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting!

Banana is one of those ingredients I always seem to have around the kitchen and it usually needs to be used up fast. I’ve made lots of banana breads over the years, even some cookies and muffins. Banana bars are an especially tasty dessert to put those bananas to good use.

Looking for more tasty banana recipes?

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Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

The base of the banana bar recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs, Cookies and Cups. I have never made a recipe that didn’t turn out just fantastic from C&C. Southern Tea Cakes are a hit, along with these indulgent Chocolate Sheet Cake Cookies.

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Did your cream cheese frosting end up with clumps?

On a side note, I had someone ask why their cream cheese frostings were turning out with little clumps. This is because the cream cheese is too cold when you prepare the frosting.

Make sure it is fully at room temperature before you make the frosting. If it is too late and you have a lumpy frosting, put it in the microwave for 20 seconds and beat well to dissolve any cream cheese clumps. Enjoy!

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Tender banana bars are topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 bars
Calories 371 kcal

Equipment

  • 8 Inch Square Baking Pan

Ingredients
  

For the bars:

  • 1/2 cup butter melted (if desired browned)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup mashed banana (1 medium banana)

For the frosting:

  • 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

For the Blondies:

  • Preheat oven to 350°-f. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside
  • In bowl of stand mixer combine melted (or browned) butter and sugar. Mix until combined. Add in egg and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Stir in salt, flour and banana until batter is smooth and even. Spread in prepared pan.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until center is set. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool. Frost the blondies when they are cooled.

For the frosting:

  • In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  • Serve the brownies either at room temperature or chilled (we prefer chilled). Keep leftovers in the fridge.

Notes

Banana bar recipe from Cookies and Cups.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 2gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 152mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 628IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
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12 Comments

  1. Hi!

    I have a couple questions about your recipe index. I tried to email you. but it keeps saying I have an invalid email address. Not sure why, as I'm not having trouble with it otherwise!

    I was wondering how you update your index once the inlinkz has closed? And do you have the free plan, or one you have purchased?

    My index is such a mess I decided it was time to update it, and have checked several options, but keep coming back to inlinkz. The program manager is awesome, but kinda pricey, so I thought the link side was a better option for me. I just don't want to go to the work of doing it all, and then not be able to add new recipes afterwards! Thanks Laurie, Cookin up north

    1. Also I fixed the problem on the contact form. Thanks for letting me know you were having troubles.

  2. Just EXCELLENT! ! Even my little picky Grandsons loved these bars and they DON'T like Bananas! !! It's definitely a keeper! !
    Thanks so much for the recipe! !

  3. so I added more cream cheese to the frosting because i felt only 4 oz wasnt enough to give it that nice cream cheese taste. im pretty dissapointed, no matter how many times i mixed that frosting it still was a gritty mix instead of smooth, and i believe thats due to the amount of powdered sugar. i worked with it on my mixer, then used my hand mixer and still couldnt get it smooth after 15 minutes of mixing. i think next time I will be following a different recipe. all the flavors were good though.

    1. Your butter might not be room temperature if frosting is gritty. I make sure mine is almost to the point of melted. Cream cheese needs to be room temperature also if it’s chilled it will mix clumpy. I also add a few extra ounces of cream cheese (normally use about 6) and I slowly add the powdered sugar so sometimes it takes me 20mins to make the frosting but it always turns out perfect that I want to eat it and not even bother with the bar. Lol

    2. Thank you for the response Heather. I was locked out of my account for a bit of time and I couldn't post a response right away.

      The only time I've had troubles with cream cheese frosting is when my cream cheese wasn't room temperature. That time I googled how to try to fix it, and read to pop the frosting in the microwave a few seconds at a time, stirring well, until the cold bits of cream cheese / butter (if that is your issue) are warmed up. Whip it up just a touch and voila, salvaged frosting.