Ooey Gooey Banana Bars are sweet and moist dessert bars that are loaded with bananas and frosted with homemade salted caramel buttercream. Although these bars would be delicious on their own, the frosting puts this dessert over the top! If you love desserts with bananas, or just need a great recipe to use up ripe bananas, be sure to also try my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: Use unsalted butter for both the bars and the salted caramel buttercream.
Brown Sugar: These bars are rich dessert bars that are made with brown sugar to give them that extra sweetness.
Bananas: Mash a couple of bananas to use in the bars. You need about 2/3 cup of mashed bananas.
Caramel Sauce: Skip the store-bought caramel sauce and make your own to use in the salted caramel buttercream!
Can These Bars be Gluten-Free?
I stress this often, that I am not a gluten-free specific baker. However, a few readers have mentioned that this recipe works very with a high-quality gluten-free replacement.
Storing & Freezing Ooey Gooey Banana Bars
This cake is best served fresh! However, you can store it in an airtight container (or covered with plastic wrap) in the refrigerator. You can also freeze this cake, however, I do recommend waiting to frost the cake until after thawing.
Can I Make the Bars Without the Frosting?
Yes, of course. However, the salted caramel buttercream truly is magical on these bars and I do hope you’ll give it a chance!
More Delicious Bars
Ooey Gooey Banana Bars
Ingredients
Banana Bars
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups (400 g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed, some chunks are okay (about ⅔ cup)
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (82 g) caramel topping
- 1 ½ teaspoons whole milk, as needed
Instructions
Banana Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar.
- On low speed, add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Add the eggs, mixing on low until incorporated.
- Add the flour and the salt, mixing well.
- Fold in the mashed bananas.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is set.
- Let the bars cool as you prepare the buttercream frosting.
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Combine the butter, sugar, salt, and caramel topping in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Start mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter.
- Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Adjust the consistency with milk as needed.
- Frost the banana bars with the buttercream after they have cooled completely.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
These were delicious but EXTREMELY SWEET. I did not even top it with the frosting. The bars alone were CRAZY SWEET!! Is there a way to decrease the sugar amount to make it less sweet without ruining the texture? The texture as it is now is perfect.
Hi, Sylvia! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. We have not tried using less sugar in this recipe, so I can’t say how that would affect the texture. If you try it, let us know how the bars turn out. Have a great day!
Just made these weekly banana bars and they are awesome. Can’t wait to share them with the family tonight. Something besides chocolate for sure.
These bars are yummy! They are like eating a banana brownie as they are on the dense side. I made them with 1.75 cups of brown sugar rather than the 2 cups called for in the recipe and they were perfect! The frosting is so good, puts them over the top! A keeper for sure!
How many bananas go in this recipe. Thank you
Hi, Nancy! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Two ripe bananas go in this recipe. Have a wonderful day!
Hello. I do not have a stand mixer for the icing. Can you use a regular hand mixer?
You can but it may not end up as smooth, which is ok, it will still taste delish! Have your handheld mixer on high and it may take a few minutes.
Easy to make…added some walnuts at last…..
Made a caramel butter frosting too. Thanks. LINDA NADGWICK
These banana bars were such a big hit with my family. A keeper! Thank you.❤
Easy and ohhhh soooo goooood! Family loved these!
Absolutely delicious! Caramel buttercream made this dish!
Wow! Can I say these an absolutely my new favorite thing to make. I seriously have made them three weekend in a row for parties. Big hit! I have a lot of no chocolate fans so it’s nice to provide something anyone can enjoy.