Bourbon Banana Bread
My bourbon banana bread is no ordinary banana bread. Instead of a typical breakfast quick bread, this version is more of a true dessert meant to be served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of homemade bourbon caramel sauce. The banana bread alone is truly incredible from the soft, brown buttery texture to the warm cinnamon, bourbon, and banana flavors. The addition of bourbon caramel and vanilla ice cream make it an extra special dessert that you'll want to make again and again.
Ingredients
For the bourbon banana bread:
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 113 g (½ cup) brown butter, start with 155g (11 tbsp) salted butter
- 106 g (½ cup) brown sugar
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 340 g (about 3) mashed overripe banana
- 113 g (½ cup) bourbon
For the syrup:
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 28 g (2 tablespoon) salted butter
- 28 g (2 tablespoon) bourbon
- 1 tablespoon water
For the bourbon caramel sauce:
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 28 g (2 tablespoon) water
- 113 g (½ cup) heavy cream, lukewarm
- 84 g (6 tablespoon) salted butter, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoon bourbon
Instructions
For the bourbon banana bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a pullman or 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over the sides for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Brown the butter: In a small saucepan, add 155g (11 tbsp) of salted butter and place over medium heat. As the butter melts, stir it with a rubber spatula to encourage even cooking. Once the butter has fully melted, it will alternate between rapid large bubbles and gentle small foamy bubbles. The butter will be ready once it turns a dark golden color and the fat solids have darkened and settled at the bottom of the pan. Immediately pour into a large bowl, scraping out the fat solids at the bottom, and weigh out to 113g (8 tbsp). Pour the remainder into a small bowl, and place in the fridge to solidify.
- To the brown butter, whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Then, vigorously whisk in the egg and vanilla until fully combined.
- On a medium plate, mash the bananas, leaving them slightly chunky or smooth depending on texture preference. Whisk the mashed bananas into the batter.
- Whisk the dry ingredients until just combined, followed by the bourbon and mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Transfer the remaining solidified brown butter to a piping bag and snip the end off. Use a knife to draw a straight line down the center of the batter. Pipe the brown butter along the line.
- Bake the banana bread for 60-75 minutes or until deeply golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For the syrup:
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, bourbon, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6 minutes.
- Once the banana bread comes out of the oven, immediately brush the syrup on top. Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting.
For the bourbon caramel sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, cream of tartar, and water.
- Heat over medium high heat, stirring often with a rubber spatula to encourage even cooking. When it comes to a boil reduce heat to medium and continue stirring often.
- When the color turns an even medium amber color remove from heat and add the heavy cream, quickly mixing until fully combined. Then, mix in the butter.
- Place the caramel back on the stove over medium heat and boil for 1-2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and 2-3 tablespoon of bourbon, depending on taste preference.
- Transfer the caramel sauce to a glass jar to cool, stir in a pinch or two of flaky sea salt, then chill in the fridge overnight or until ready to use.
For serving:
- Serve each banana bread slice warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle of bourbon caramel sauce!
Notes
Browning butter: Start with a few extra tablespoons of butter, since water evaporates as it browns. Also, keep in mind that European-style butter has less water content, so if you're using American-style butter you might want to start with even more butter. Use the remaining brown butter to pipe a line down the center of the batter. As it bakes, this line of butter will encourage to split down the middle evenly.
Baking the bread: Watch the banana bread closely in the oven at the 1 hour mark. All ovens are different, and the last thing we want is an over-baked banana bread!
Caramel sauce: Use a rubber spatula to ensure the sugar is mixed properly and nothing sticks to the sides of the pan. Be sure your heavy cream and butter are room temp before adding to the caramelized sugar to avoid the sugar seizing up.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 433mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 499IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg
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