Banana Bread | Made with Brown Butter and Sour Cream

If you’re looking for a super delicious bakery-style banana bread that has a depth of flavor and just the right amount of texture, you’ve come to the right place! Celiac Kitchen’s banana bread recipe includes all the basics plus brown butter and sour cream to really bump up the texture and flavor, taking it to a whole new level.

This is a no-fuss recipe that you can customize by using chocolate chips instead of nuts; replacing walnuts with hazelnuts or pecans; or mix and match to create your favorite combination.

Follow along with our recipe below and join us for a video demonstration on Celiac Kitchen’s YouTube channel.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cups (~160g) nuts,* chocolate chips or your favorite combination

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into even size chunks so it browns evenly

• 2 cups (~290g) cup for cup GF flour (one that has xathan gum and a lower protein content; we used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (~200g) brown sugar

• 3 medium to large ripe bananas – more ripe is more sweet

• ¼ cup sour cream

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*

*nuts and vanilla are high risks for gluten contamination, carefully check label

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F  

1. Roast Nuts

• Preheat skillet on medium low to medium heat

• Add nuts and spread them into an even, flat layer

• Roast for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (size of nut determines how long to roast)

• Nuts will start to look shiny and will be fragrant when roasted

• Remove from heat; set aside to cool

• Once cool, chop nuts to desired size; place chopped nuts into large mixing bowl

Notes on Roasting Nuts

• Roasting nuts is optional though it really adds a pleasant depth of flavor to the recipe

• The stovetop method is faster than roasting nuts in the oven and allows you to monitor its progress

• Make sure there’s plenty of room in your skillet for nuts to roast evenly; roast in multiple batches if necessary

• Once cool, chop nuts to desired size depending on the texture and consistency you prefer in your banana bread

2. Brown Butter

• Preheat skillet on medium low to medium heat

• Add butter; stir as needed to prevent burning

• As water content from butter evaporates, you’ll hear popping noise and butter will start to look foamy

• You’ll begin to smell the rich, nutty aroma of fats and dairy solids toasting on the bottom of the pan

• At this point, stir continuously until the milk solids are toasted to your preference; use the color and aroma to help guide you

• Keep in mind that butter and solids continue to darken a little after you finish cooking, as it cools

• Transfer butter to clean, large mixing bowl; let cool to room temp

Notes on Browning Butter

• While the combination of brown butter and sour cream in this recipe does bring a whole new level of flavor to banana bread, this combination also serves a specific purpose. Some of the butter’s water content evaporates during the cooking process and sour cream replenishes the moisture in a way that brings about a beautiful bakery-style finish with a deep, rich flavor

3. Prepare Batter

• Add to mixing bowl with room temperature chopped nuts, chocolate chips or your favorite combination:

  · GF flour

  · Baking soda

  · Baking powder

  · Salt

• Stir together until combined; set aside

Dry ingredients are added to chopped nuts, chocolate chips or your favorite combination

• Add to mixing bowl with room temperature brown butter:

  · Brown sugar; stir to combine

  · Bananas; use a fork to smash and stir to blend

  · Vanilla

  · Add 1 egg at a time; stir each 30 – 60 seconds

  · Sour cream; stir until incorporated

Add brown sugar to mixing bowl containing room temperature brown butter

Add bananas and remaining wet ingredients; stir to incorporate each ingredient

• Add 1/2 of the wet mixture to the dry ingredients; stir to blend

• Add remaining wet mixture; stir until all ingredients are incorporated

Note: this will be a thick batter

• Prepare loaf pan (we lined our pan with parchment paper); transfer batter to prepared pan

• Smooth the top

4. Bake

• 350°F oven for 70 - 80 minutes

• Cool 15 – 30 minutes; can remove from pan after about 10 minutes