This browned butter spiced banana loaf is the perfect treat for any time of the day. It's delicious served warm and slathered in the salted maple butter, or sliced cold from the fridge the following day (my personal favourite). The browned butter adds a rich, nutty caramelised flavour that pairs perfectly with the warm spices and ripe bananas in the loaf.
The banana loaf is undoubtedly delicious on its own, but there are certain occasions when the addition of maple butter is an absolute must. The richness of the butter is perfectly complemented by a warm slice of the loaf, making it an ideal treat for entertaining guests or when family and friends stop by. However, if I'm making the loaf for everyday snacking, I typically skip this step.
If you encounter difficulties with the emulsification of the maple butter, such as the syrup and butter splitting despite your best efforts to mix it, simply add half a teaspoon of all-purpose flour to the mixture and stir thoroughly. This should solve the problem and result in a perfectly smooth emulsion.
It is important to use the ripest bananas you can find for this recipe, ideally large ones, to ensure you have as close to 525g as possible. This will help to ensure the loaf has the perfect texture and is not too dry or too dense.
If you have never browned butter before, it is essentially the process of toasting the butter and caramelising the milk solids to create a deliciously nutty, buttery flavour. There are a few key things to keep in mind when browning butter. Once the butter has melted, keep it on the heat and let it simmer. Initially, it will splatter quite a bit as the water is released from the butter, but after a minute or so, this will subside, and the butter will begin to foam. Once it starts foaming, brown, caramelised pieces will appear on the bottom of the pan, and the butter should look golden and smell beautifully nutty and caramelised. Immediately remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly, as the butter can quickly go from perfectly golden brown to burnt. When you notice the butter starting to turn golden brown with lots of brown bits covering the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat right away to prevent burning.
For this recipe, I teamed up with the guys from Westgold. I've loved using their high-quality butter in my cooking and baking recently. It has a rich and creamy flavour and is made with milk from grass-fed cows, farmed on the West Coast of New Zealand’s, South Island. Be sure to look out for them when shopping at Woolworths in Australia.
Hope you love this one, and as always please let me know if you make the recipe @gatherandfeast, and feel free to ask any questions. Enjoy!
Ingredients
20 minutes preparation time + 50 minutes baking time 
10-12 Banana loaf
- 150g salted butter (I’ve used Westgold)
- 4 large, very overripe bananas (roughly 525g once peeled and mashed)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Small pinch ground clove
- Small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup raw sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup thick unsweetened Greek yoghurt
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 2 cups plain all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
- Pinch of sea salt
Salted maple butter (optional)
- 125g salted butter, softened (I’ve used Westgold)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Pinch of flakey sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon plain flour
Method
Browned butter
- Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring continuously throughout the process.
- Once the butter is melted keep on the heat and continue to simmer until the butter starts foaming and brown caramelised pieces appear on the bottom of the pan. The butter should now look golden and smell beautifully nutty and caramelised.
- Immediately remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Banana loaf
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl add the 4 large bananas and mash well.
- Add the slightly cooled browned butter, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, sugar, eggs, yoghurt, and a squeeze of lemon, then whisk to combine.
- Next, add the flour, baking powder, bi-carb soda, and salt, then fold in to combine.
- Pour into a pre-lined loaf tin and bake at 180°C/350°F for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the pan for 30 to 60 minutes before turning out and slicing.
- Serve warm with or without the maple butter or cold from the fridge the following day.
Salted maple butter (optional)
- In a small bowl add the softened butter with the maple syrup and salt.
- Stir until well incorporated. If you find it separates simply add half a teaspoon of all-purpose flour to the mixture and stir thoroughly. This should solve the problem and result in a perfectly smooth emulsion.
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