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So What IS a Blondie, Anyway?

Have you ever had a blondie? It’s kind of like a brownie, and kinda not like a brownie. Brownies get their pop from cocoa powder. But Blondies are little masterpieces of vanilla flavors. Add a mashed banana into the Blondie batter and now we’ve leveled up to amazing! There is no leavening in blondies – baking soda, baking powder and yeast are all absent. Without leavening, Blondie texture is dense, rich, and crackly topped. Topping Banana Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting is a match made in heaven.

I have my friend Jaime to thank for introducing me to Banana Blondies. She brought a plate of them to my house because she’s nice like that. She also happens to be one of the best bakers I know.

So Good They Cause Arguments

This recipe for Banana Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting has become a family favorite. Recently I whipped up a double batch. I wanted to give a platter to my kids’ school councilor and have extra at home for a summer afternoon treat. But whoa! I forgot how much my kids love them. There were actual arguments about who had the most, deserved another, didn’t deserve one, on and on. It was my mistake leaving the blondies cooling on the kitchen counter too long. As the day wore on, the portion I’d reserved for Mr. Parker was nibbled down to like, 8 pieces. I had to make another batch.

Simple Ingredients

Banana Blondies won’t require trips to the store for exotic ingredients. Flour, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and of course bananas are all it takes to make this great treat.

Mixing the ingredients together is fast and easy.

Looking great already…

Fold in the Bananas

This is where you fold in the mashed bananas. That’s just a fancy way of saying to be gentle when adding the bananas to the batter. A few quick stirs around the bowl is all that’s needed to integrate. You don’t need to beat the heck out of the batter here.

Yes to parchment paper

I love parchment paper – it doesn’t burn and helps to remove food from pans with ease. I add enough to the pan to create little handles on the edges. This allows me to lift the entire batch from the pan after its cooked with ease. But if you don’t have parchment paper, don’t worry. You can use foil to line your pan – just give the foil a quick spray with a non-stick cooking spray like Pam.

All Dressed Up and Ready to Delight

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Banana Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting

Delicious, moist and easy to make with simple ingredients, these banana blondies will quickly become a favorite. They have a lovely mild vanilla, brown sugar and banana flavor. This recipe works great for homemade treats, lunchboxes, bake sales, holidays, potlucks and more.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword banana, bananas, Blondies, Brown Butter, Brown Sugar, comfort food, dessert, inexpensive, kid friendly, lunchbox, party food, sweet, vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author Jessica Nelson

Ingredients

Blondies

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana approximately 2 small, or 1 medium banana

Brown Sugar Frosting

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk I use whole milk
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Blondie Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little bit of extra paper on the sides of the pan. This will give you something to hold onto as you lift the cooked blondies from the pan. If you don't have parchment paper, use foil sprayed with cooking spray.

  2. In a large bowl, add melted butter and brown sugar. Mix until creamy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add egg and vanilla, mix until combined. (I use a stand mixer for this recipe because it's so fast. But an electric hand mixer or mixing exclusively by hand works well too.)

  3. In a separate bowl, combine salt and flour. Add this flour mixture to the wet ingredients in small amounts (approximately 1/3 cup) at a time until it's all combined together.

  4. Add the mashed bananas to the batter and mix until the bananas are evenly incorporated, approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out so that the batter is even all over.

  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the center is set.

  6. Transfer the pan to a wire rack for cooling. After 5 minutes, lift the blondies from the pan using the parchment paper edges. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Brown Sugar Frosting Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and milk. Stir to combine and cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir frequently. As soon as it starts to boil, remove the pan from the cooktop. Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes.

  2. Stir the powdered sugar into the slightly cooled butter, brown sugar and milk mixture. Use a whisk to break apart any lumps.

  3. Remove the Blondies from the parchment paper or foil. I like to flip the blondies over, making the bottom now the top. It makes removing the parchment paper easy. This also creates a nice flat surface to frost. Spread the warm frosting onto the cooled Blondies. Allow the frosting time to set up before cutting into servings.