
This is a recipe of circumstance. I had three overripe bananas on the counter that I didn’t want to toss or add to the freezer collection. Enter: Brown Butter Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble Topping, a blend of several existing recipes. Keep in mind, I’m just a homebaker puttering around the kitchen. I am sure the recipe could be improved, so feel free to make adjustments as needed. I just wanted to stop looking at those three bananas.
Lazy Baker Requirements
I wanted something I could make with a spoon and two bowls — no mixer required. I wanted to use three bananas without worrying about their size. The grams in the recipe are standard bananas, but my bananas were 30 grams heavier, and it was fine! I also wanted to use melted butter because it’s faster than waiting for butter to soften. I imagine you could use a light oil, such as canola or avocado, but all I had at the time was extra-virgin olive oil, and I am recently off an olive oil cake bender (in two weeks, I made orange and lemon olive oil cakes and marjoram scones), so I am over olive oil in baked goods. Plus, it’s banana bread; limits are what make a decent society.
Enjoy!

Easy Banana Bread with Brown Butter and Cinnamon Crumble
Ingredients
For the banana bread
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 3 ripe bananas mashed (approx. 300g peeled)
- 150 g brown sugar or 100g if you prefer less sweet
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract about 5 ml
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda about 5g
- 1/2 tsp salt about 3g
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Optional: 75g chopped walnuts or chocolate chips
For the cinnamon crumble (optional but amazing):
- 30 g unsalted butter softened
- 30 g brown sugar
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
- Brown the butter: Melt the 115g of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until it foams, turns golden, and smells nutty (about 5–7 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and the browned butter.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Fold in optional walnuts or chocolate chips.
- Make the crumble: Use a fork to mix butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon until crumbly.
- Pour batter into the pan, then sprinkle the crumble on top.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool 10–15 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
Leave a Reply