Exquisite Brown Butter Banana Bread (Bakery-Style)

The finished loaf: deeply flavored banana bread with brown butter and a crunchy toasted oat streusel.

If you're looking for a banana bread that tastes like it came straight from an upscale bakery, this is it. Made with nutty brown butter, warm spices, and a toasted oat streusel, this loaf delivers incredible depth of flavor and a tender, moist crumb. It’s the kind of recipe people ask you for after one bite.

Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread

I love banana bread, and every time I make it, I try to change the recipe up just a little bit. This is my favorite iteration to date.

Browning the butter adds nutty richness, the bananas keep everything incredibly moist, and the toasted oat streusel brings that bakery-style finish. It’s simple, cozy, and deeply flavorful in a way most banana breads aren’t.

• Rich brown butter adds depth you can taste in every bite

• A moist, tender crumb that stays soft for days

• Toasted-oat streusel for a bakery-style look and flavor

• Reliable results with easy, straightforward steps

• No mixer needed

• Perfect for weekend baking, gifting, or enjoying warm with coffee

Expert Tips for the Best Results

Use deeply speckled bananas
The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your loaf will be. Yellow with a few spots won’t give you the same result. Pro tip: Always keep a few bananas on hand. If they start darkening too quickly, stick them in the fridge or mash them, seal them in a Ziploc, and freeze them. They’ll keep beautifully and you’ll always be ready to bake.

Don’t rush the brown butter
Let it get golden and nutty, not just melted. The aroma will tell you when it’s ready.

Room temperature eggs mix better
If you forget to take them out, place them in warm water for 5 minutes. Easy way to get those eggs up to temperature quickly!

Weigh your ingredients
This recipe was tested by weight for consistency. I’m not a big fan of cup measurements… in baking, grams are the way to go!

Don’t overmix
Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing leads to a tougher crumb.

Check early
All ovens bake differently. Start checking around the 45 minute mark.

Tent with foil if needed
If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last part of the bake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes. Thaw them fully and drain excess liquid before measuring.

Can I substitute yogurt for sour cream?
Yes. Use an equal amount of full-fat yogurt.

Can I reduce the sugar?
You can reduce it by about 15 to 20 percent without changing texture too much, but the loaf will be less caramelized.

Can I add nuts or chocolate chips?
Yes. Fold in up to ¾ cup.
If you’re adding chocolate chips, bittersweet works best here. The loaf is already naturally sweet from the bananas, so a darker chocolate balances everything out without making it overly sweet. Semisweet also works if you prefer a more classic, sweeter flavor. I don’t recommend milk chocolate since it tends to get lost in the loaf.

Can I bake this in a smaller or larger loaf pan?
You can. Baking times will vary. Narrower, taller pans need a bit longer.

How do I know when it’s done?
A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs and no wet batter.

Can I skip the streusel?
Yes. The loaf will still be incredible, just simpler.

Make-ahead options

• Make the streusel one day ahead and keep it chilled.

• Mash and freeze bananas up to 3 months ahead.

• Mix dry ingredients the night before so baking is quick in the morning.

Serving & Storage

Serving
This loaf slices best once cooled completely. If you prefer it warm, heat slices for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave.

Storage
Store covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days.

Freezing
Wrap slices individually and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm before serving.

Ingredient Swaps & Variations

For a nuttier flavor
Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract or fold in chopped walnuts.

For a hint of spice
Increase cinnamon slightly or add a touch of cardamom.

For a chocolate-forward version
Fold in chocolate chips or drizzle the cooled loaf with melted chocolate.

For a lighter loaf
Replace 2 tablespoons of butter with neutral oil.

What You’ll Need (Tools + Ingredients I Recommend)

These are the tools and ingredients I use every time I make this banana bread.
If you want bakery-level results at home, these make a surprisingly big difference.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

• Kitchen Scale — I use the OXO Good Grips scale and genuinely love it. It’s reliable, easy to read, and makes accurate measurements effortless.

• Mixing Bowls Set — You’ll need one large and one medium bowl. I grabbed this set from Amazon and they’re great - love all the different sizes! They stack nicely too.

• Loaf Pan (9.5" × 5") — The ideal size for this recipe; gives the best rise.

• Silicone Loaf Pan Lifters — I use the King Arthur silicone loaf lifters and honestly prefer them over parchment. They’re sturdy, nonstick, and make lifting the loaf out of the pan super easy.

• Silicone Spatulas — Love this set of OXO spatulas. They’re my go-to for all my cooking endeavors!

• Vanilla Bean Paste — The brand I personally use for deeper flavor.

• Turbinado Sugar — For that sparkly, crunchy streusel top.

• Rolled Oats — I like using Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats because they toast really well and add great texture to the streusel.

Ingredients

Yield: Makes one tall 9.5 x 5 inch loaf, about 10 to 12 slices.

Banana Bread Batter

• 348 g mashed overripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)

• 32 g full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt

• 63 g dark brown sugar

• 52 g light brown sugar

• 130 g unsalted butter, browned (just under 1 ¼ sticks before browning)

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (No paste? Use ½ tsp vanilla extract for a milder flavor or 1 tsp for a stronger vanilla note.)

• 218 g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda + a small pinch

• ¾ tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon + a pinch

• A pinch of nutmeg

• Tiny pinch of cardamom or clove (optional)

Toasted Oat Streusel Topping

• 40g all-purpose flour

• 40g light brown sugar

• 30g cold unsalted butter, cubed

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt (or flaky sea salt)

• 20g rolled oats, toasted

• Turbinado sugar, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat & Prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place a silicone bread lifter in your 9.5" × 5" loaf pan (or grease and line the pan with parchment paper if you’re not using one).

2. Toast the oats

Spread 20g oats on a sheet pan and bake 5–7 minutes until golden. Let cool.

3. Brown the butter

Melt 130g butter over medium heat, stirring until it foams and browns. Cool 5 minutes.

4. Make the batter

Use deeply speckled or nearly black bananas for maximum sweetness and flavor.

Mash bananas. Mix in sour cream, sugars, brown butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and optional spices.
Fold dry mixture into wet just until combined.

5. Make the streusel

This brown sugar oat streusel gives the loaf its signature crunch and bakery-style finish.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter until sandy. Stir in toasted oats.

6. Assemble

Pour batter into loaf pan. Add streusel. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

7. Bake

Bake 50–60 minutes, checking at 45. Toothpick should come out with moist crumbs.
Tent with foil if browning too quickly.

8. Cool

Cool 10–15 minutes in pan. Transfer to rack and cool 1–2 hours before slicing.

Result

A rich, aromatic banana bread with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb, deep banana flavor, silky brown butter notes, and a crisp, golden streusel that gives it a true bakery-style finish.

If you make this banana bread, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and let me know what you thought or if you tried any fun add-ins.