Ingredients
Scale
- For the Brown Butter Banana Bread:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 large overripe bananas, mashed
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the Maple Pecan Streusel:
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Browning the Butter: Place 1/2 cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter, then continue cooking while whisking constantly. The butter will foam up and then begin to show little brown specks at the bottom. Once it smells nutty and turns an amber color, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a large mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
- Preparing the Maple Pecan Streusel: In a small bowl, combine the chopped pecans, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Drizzle the maple syrup over the mixture and toss lightly with a fork. Set this mixture aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter.
- Mixing the Wet Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. To the bowl with the cooled brown butter, add the mashed bananas, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and well-combined. The brown butter might solidify slightly if the bananas are cold, so ensure your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Incorporating the Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate medium bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet banana mixture using a spatula. Stop mixing as soon as no more streaks of flour remain. Overmixing the batter will lead to a tough, rubbery loaf, so keep your touch light.
- Assembling and Baking: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the chilled maple pecan streusel evenly over the entire surface of the batter. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the streusel begins to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Cook Time: 80 minutes