These Banana Nut Bars are full of crushed walnuts and ripe bananas and topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting for the perfect combination of flavors!
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Making these delicious Banana Nut Bars is so easy and uses simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. They are amazing! And the cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping for them.
This recipe will make you happy that you have over-ripe bananas that need to be used! We like to eat these as a breakfast treat or dessert. Everyone loves it!
Recipe Variations
It is easy to change up this recipe. You can add semisweet chocolate chips to the batter and another great addition to add would be raisins.
You can switch out the walnuts and use pecans instead or if you don't like nuts you can leave them out. And you can leave off the cream cheese frosting and just lightly dust the bars with confectioners’ sugar.
If you love banana recipes you will want to try this delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Bread, these Streusel topped Cranberry Banana Muffins, and this refreshing No Bake Banana Split Dessert which is the perfect dessert for hot summer days.
Baking Tips
When baking it's best to use room temperature ingredients. Soften the butter and cream cheese to room temperature before using to make it easier to achieve a smooth and creamy texture without lumps.
Make sure to use overripe bananas to get the most sweetness for baking. Look for bananas that have black/brown spots and feel soft.
When measuring the flour spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess with smooth edge of butter knife.
You can use pecans in place of walnuts if you prefer or a mixture of both would be delicious.
Ingredients
See printable recipe card below for specific measurements and complete instructions.
- granulated sugar
- ripe bananas
- vegetable oil
- eggs
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- crushed walnuts
Frosting Ingredients
- cream cheese, softened
- unsalted butter, softened
- vanilla
- powdered sugar
How To Make Banana Nut Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees then prepare a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
STEP 2: Add the sugar, bananas, oil and eggs in a large bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
STEP 3: Slowly stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until combined and then add in 1/2 cup of the walnuts.
STEP 4: Pour the batter in the prepared pan and spread out evenly.
STEP 5: Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large bowl cream together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla with hand mixer. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until a thick frosting forms.
Frosting the Banana Nut Bars
Spoon out the frosting in dollops all over the banana bars and then carefully spread it to the edges. Then top with the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts. Cut and enjoy!
How To Store: These bars will need to be covered and stored in the refrigerator since they have cream cheese frosting.
More Dessert Bar Recipes
If you are a fan of dessert bars, here are a few of my favorites to try!
- Strawberry Crumb Bars
- Pumpkin Gooey Butter Bars
- Easy Pina Colada No Bake Bars
- Salted Caramel Pecans Bars
- Cherry Pie Filling Bars
Helpful Supplies and Tools
Here are a few items that I recommend and use in my kitchen that are helpful when baking. (Affiliate links).
I use this Wilton Non-Stick 9 x 13-Inch Baking Pan with Lid and this 3 Piece Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set. I really like these 100% Cotton Soft and Absorbent Dish Towels and they come in 10 different colors. I have them in yellow.
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I hope you enjoy these easy Banana Nut Bars with cream cheese frosting! If you try this recipe, please come back and rate the recipe and leave me a comment below.
Banana Nut Bars
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup crushed walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Add the sugar, bananas, oil and eggs in a large bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Slowly stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until combined and then add in 1/2 cup of the walnuts.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl cream together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until a thick frosting forms.
- Spoon out the frosting in dollops all over the banana bars and then carefully spread it to the edges. Then top with the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts.
Notes
Nutrition
