Banana Blondies with a Soft, Rich Center

Golden edges, a buttery banana aroma, and pockets of creamy white chocolate give these banana blondies their unmistakably rich character. The center stays soft and slightly fudgy rather than fluffy or cake-like, while browned butter and brown sugar bring caramel depth without burying the fruit. A little salt keeps all that sweetness from becoming one-note.

I use a light-colored metal 9 by 13-inch pan so the edges set at roughly the same pace as the center. The batter should be thick and glossy, and the baked center should look matte but remain slightly soft when pressed. Cooling is part of the method, not a polite suggestion. Two hours at room temperature followed by a short chill allows the starches, sugars, and melted chocolate to settle into a rich bar crumb that slices cleanly.

This Is Why You’ll Love this Banana Recipe

• Browned butter reduces excess water while developing toasted milk-solid flavor, giving the bars a dense, buttery crumb instead of a loose, greasy center.
• A measured 200 grams of mashed banana supplies clear fruit flavor and moisture without turning the blondies into banana bread.
• One whole egg and one yolk provide enough protein for structure, while the extra yolk contributes fat and tenderness without adding another egg white.
• The balance of 198 grams butter, 260 grams flour, and 140 grams white chocolate keeps the batter rich but sturdy enough to cut after cooling.
• A 9 by 13-inch metal pan creates the intended thickness, allowing the edges to turn golden while the center reaches a safe, fully baked moist-crumb stage.

Ingredient Notes for Banana Blondies with a Soft, Rich Center

• Unsalted butter: Browning concentrates the butter and develops nutty flavor through toasted milk solids. Cut it into pieces before heating so it melts evenly, then cool it until warm rather than piping hot before combining it with the egg.
• Light brown sugar: Its molasses contributes moisture, caramel flavor, and chew. Press out hard lumps before mixing because intact sugar clumps can leave wet-looking pockets in the baked crumb.
• Ripe banana: Use deeply speckled bananas and weigh the mashed fruit after peeling. Banana size varies considerably, and excess puree can make blondies gummy even when they appear fully baked.
• Egg and egg yolk: The whole egg supplies binding protein, while the additional yolk enriches and tenderizes the center. Room-temperature eggs blend more readily into the warm butter mixture.
• All-purpose flour: This provides enough starch and protein to support the banana and melted fat. Weigh it if possible, and stop folding as soon as the last dry streaks disappear.
• White chocolate: Chips or evenly chopped baking chocolate create sweet, creamy pockets that suit the caramelized banana flavor. Reserve part for the surface so the baked bars have visible chocolate without needing a separate topping.
• Fine sea salt: Fine crystals disperse evenly through the flour and sharpen the banana, brown butter, and white chocolate flavors without leaving concentrated salty spots.

Expert Baking Tips

• Weigh the peeled, mashed banana rather than relying only on a banana count. Too much fruit is the most direct route to a gummy center.
• Use a light-colored saucepan for browning the butter. The pale interior makes the milk solids easier to monitor before they cross from toasted to burned.
• Let the browned butter cool before adding the egg. Warm butter blends smoothly, but very hot butter can cook small strands of egg and create an uneven batter.
• Choose a metal pan with straight sides. Glass heats and cools differently, making the intended center doneness and baking schedule less predictable.
• For same-day serving, begin at least 3 1/2 hours ahead. The bars need their full cooling and chilling period before they develop a stable, clean-cut texture.

Ingredients for Banana Blondies

• 14 tablespoons (198 g) unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
• 1 1/4 cups packed (250 g) light brown sugar (break up any firm lumps)
• 3/4 cup (200 g) mashed very ripe banana (weighed after peeling, about 2 medium bananas)
• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 large egg yolk (at room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (260 g) all-purpose flour (weighed or spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup (140 g) white chocolate chips (divided)

How to Make Banana Blondies

• STEP 1). Prepare the pan and preheat the oven Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch light-colored metal pan, then line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two opposite sides. Smooth the paper firmly into the corners so the batter spreads to an even depth. Avoid a smaller pan, which would leave the center underbaked by the time the edges become firm.
• STEP 2). Brown and cool the butter Melt the butter in a small light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking for 6 to 9 minutes, swirling frequently, as the butter foams and the milk solids settle. Remove it from the heat when those solids are deep golden and the butter smells nutty, before they turn dark brown. Immediately pour the butter and every toasted speck into the large mixing bowl. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes, until warm but no longer hot.
• STEP 3). Combine the banana mixture Mash the banana in a medium bowl until mostly smooth, with no pieces larger than a pea, then weigh 200 grams into the browned butter. Add the brown sugar and whisk for about 45 seconds, until glossy and evenly blended. Whisk in the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla for another 30 seconds. The mixture should look cohesive and slightly thickened, without visible streaks of egg or pools of separated butter.
• STEP 4). Fold the batter together In the medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and fold with a silicone spatula, scraping around the bowl and through the center. Stop when only a few narrow flour streaks remain. Fold in 110 grams of the white chocolate just until those streaks disappear. The finished batter will be thick, glossy, and spreadable; prolonged mixing will develop gluten and make the cooled blondies tough.
• STEP 5). Spread and bake the blondies Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and press it into the corners with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Level the surface so the center is not noticeably thicker than the edges, then scatter the reserved 30 grams white chocolate evenly over the top. Bake for 27 to 32 minutes. The edges should be golden and slightly puffed, while the center looks matte and feels softly set. A toothpick inserted near the center should hold moist crumbs, not liquid batter.
• STEP 6). Cool, chill, and cut cleanly Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the blondies completely in the pan for 2 hours. The center will continue setting as the butter and white chocolate cool, so lifting the slab early can cause bending or compression. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes for the cleanest edges, then use the parchment overhang to transfer the slab to a cutting board. With a long sharp knife, trim only if desired and cut into 24 bars, wiping the blade clean between cuts.

Storage and Freezing

• Room-temperature storage: Keep fully cooled banana blondies in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Place parchment between stacked layers.
• Refrigerator storage: Refrigerate airtight for up to 5 days if your kitchen is warm. Let individual bars stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving for a softer crumb.
• Freezing: Wrap individual bars tightly and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
• Thawing: Unwrap and thaw the bars at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours so condensation does not collect against the surface.
• Serving: For neat presentation, cut the chilled slab first, then allow the portions to lose their refrigerator chill before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Ridiculously Delicious Brownies & Bars

• Cinnamon Roll Blondies with a Soft Center
• Cranberry Orange Blondies with Tart Cranberries
• White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies with Homemade Texture
• Maple Pecan Blondies with Homemade Texture
• Cinnamon Swirl Blondies with Warm Cinnamon Ribbons

Banana Blondies with a Soft, Rich Center

These banana blondies combine ripe banana, nutty browned butter, brown sugar, and white chocolate in a 9 by 13-inch pan. The bars bake with golden edges and a soft, rich center that firms into a clean-cut crumb as it cools.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Cooling 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings: 24 blondies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 183

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 14 tablespoons (198 g) unsalted butter cut into pieces
• 1 1/4 cups packed (250 g) light brown sugar break up any firm lumps
• 3/4 cup (200 g) mashed very ripe banana weighed after peeling, about 2 medium bananas
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (260 g) all-purpose flour weighed or spooned and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup (140 g) white chocolate chips divided

Equipment

• 9 by 13-inch light-colored metal baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Small light-colored saucepan
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Digital kitchen scale
• Silicone spatula
• Wire cooling rack
• Long sharp chef's knife

Method

 

1. Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch light-colored metal pan, then line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two opposite sides. Smooth the paper firmly into the corners so the batter spreads to an even depth. Avoid a smaller pan, which would leave the center underbaked by the time the edges become firm.
2. Melt the butter in a small light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking for 6 to 9 minutes, swirling frequently, as the butter foams and the milk solids settle. Remove it from the heat when those solids are deep golden and the butter smells nutty, before they turn dark brown. Immediately pour the butter and every toasted speck into the large mixing bowl. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes, until warm but no longer hot.
3. Mash the banana in a medium bowl until mostly smooth, with no pieces larger than a pea, then weigh 200 grams into the browned butter. Add the brown sugar and whisk for about 45 seconds, until glossy and evenly blended. Whisk in the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla for another 30 seconds. The mixture should look cohesive and slightly thickened, without visible streaks of egg or pools of separated butter.
4. In the medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and fold with a silicone spatula, scraping around the bowl and through the center. Stop when only a few narrow flour streaks remain. Fold in 110 grams of the white chocolate just until those streaks disappear. The finished batter will be thick, glossy, and spreadable; prolonged mixing will develop gluten and make the cooled blondies tough.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and press it into the corners with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Level the surface so the center is not noticeably thicker than the edges, then scatter the reserved 30 grams white chocolate evenly over the top. Bake for 27 to 32 minutes. The edges should be golden and slightly puffed, while the center looks matte and feels softly set. A toothpick inserted near the center should hold moist crumbs, not liquid batter.
6. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the blondies completely in the pan for 2 hours. The center will continue setting as the butter and white chocolate cool, so lifting the slab early can cause bending or compression. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes for the cleanest edges, then use the parchment overhang to transfer the slab to a cutting board. With a long sharp knife, trim only if desired and cut into 24 bars, wiping the blade clean between cuts.

Notes

• Weigh the peeled, mashed banana rather than relying only on a banana count. Too much fruit is the most direct route to a gummy center.
• Use a light-colored saucepan for browning the butter. The pale interior makes the milk solids easier to monitor before they cross from toasted to burned.
• Let the browned butter cool before adding the egg. Warm butter blends smoothly, but very hot butter can cook small strands of egg and create an uneven batter.
• Choose a metal pan with straight sides. Glass heats and cools differently, making the intended center doneness and baking schedule less predictable.
• For same-day serving, begin at least 3 1/2 hours ahead. The bars need their full cooling and chilling period before they develop a stable, clean-cut texture.