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Brown Butter-Cardamom Banana Bread
Banana bread is one of the most common baked goods made at home, and most of them taste just that — common. We wanted a revved-up recipe that would produce flavorful results without additional effort. So we paired one of banana’s most complementary spices – cardamom – with nutty browned butter. Blooming the cardamom in hot butter draws out the spice’s aromas, producing a more complex flavor in the finished bread. We found we needed two leaveners. Baking powder alone gave the bread lift but turned out a pale loaf. Baking soda resulted in a well-browned top but a dense crumb. Combining the two was perfect. Measuring the bananas in a 1-cup dry measuring cup was important; the difference in moisture between 4 small and 4 large bananas could throw off the balance of the ingredients. While we preferred the deeper flavor of dark brown sugar here, light brown works just as well. Sprinkling granulated sugar over the top of the loaf just before baking created a crisp, brown crust that we loved.
1
9-inch Loaf
Tip
Don’t measure the bananas by number, as differences in sizes can throw off the balance of ingredients. Measure them using a dry measuring cup instead.
1 hour 15 minutes
25 minutes active
Ingredients
-
260
grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
-
1
teaspoon baking powder
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the upper-middle position. Mist a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
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February 13, 2024
Brown Butter-Cardamom Banana Bread
Very easy to make, with a very different taste. Firm on the outside and light on the inside. I will be making this bread again.
January 30, 2023
Great Banana Bread
This is my new go-to banana bread recipe. I made it tonight for the second time and decreased the cardamom to 1tsp. That was just right for us. The whole family loves this recipe!
November 8, 2022
Insane
This is amazing. I will never make banana bread another way.
April 28, 2023
Where did I go wrong?
I am known for my banana bread (traditional, cream butter/sugar first, roast bananas 1st for extra flavor, cinnamon-sugar crunch on the surface), but I make it so often and I wanted to try something different. As it came together, the nutty butter and cardamom and then the sugar added... good lord it smelled HEA. VEN. LY! The baked product was pretty for sure, nice rise and cracked top. But, the final taste is somewhere between blah and bleh. Followed recipe precisely, weighing / measuring. It has very little banana flavor and seems less sweet than my usual bread, even though it has the same amount of sugar. Could not roasting the bananas be the only reason for the failure of what seemed so promising in the batter stage??
November 21, 2022
The Banana Bread Recipe!
This was the banana bread I had been looking for. I thought the cardamom might be too strong, but the perfume helps banana flavor linger longer. Tried European salted butter and didn't find it too be too salty.
I've made this recipe twice. The first time, I found the cardamom taste overpowered the banana and it didn't taste banana-ey enough. The second time, I made some changes: (1) used 2.5 oz of whole wheat flour in place of 2.5 oz of the all purpose flour, (2) reduced cardamom to 1/4 tsp, (3) added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, (4) added roasted walnuts, (5) used a 9-inch cake pan instead of the loaf pan, and (6) I shingled thin banana slices around the perimeter of the pan before sprinkling with sugar. It was done in 40 minutes (it may have been done earlier, but I didn't check it until 40 mins). It's a delicious banana cake!
I also found it too salty. I will cut back. I wonder if the brand of kosher salt makes a difference
Covid-19. Day 26. I have one black banana. I certainly don’t want to waste any food these days. The one black banana measures out to 1/2 cup ( smashed). Holycow- I’m gonna have to reduce this recipe to 1/4 of its usual volume. It’s turned out tiny and tasty. Glad I had a tiny pan.
I've made this recipe 3 times now and will make it at least 30 X more to come. I did not find it a bit salty, I used Kosher Diamond Salt...that make a difference since the flake's volume takes up more room than regular salt, so half the weight. I love cardamom and did not find it too much even though I freshly ground my cardamom.
This banana bread is incredibly delicious and I have made many times. I personally dial back on the cardamom and add cinnamon as well. I use an 8x8 pan since that's what I have, and it finishes in 30 minutes. Based on other comments I'm guessing Milkstreet has made adjustments to the salt- the 1/2 teaspoon of table salt is perfect. Highly recommend! Browning the butter is a game changer!
FABULOUS! I don't like banana bread at all - but get tired of throwing out overly ripe bananas. This is amazing. I truly believe the cardamom made all the difference. I may even make this as gifts. Truly wonderful - the perfect texture and flavor. I baked mine for 47 minutes so watch the time.
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7 bananas