Description
This delicious banana bread is enhanced with toasted pecans and topped with a creamy maple frosting, making it a perfect treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup pecans
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- ⅓ cup soft brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 3 medium or 2 large bananas (mashed)
- 1 Tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tsp baking soda
- ½ Tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ fine sea salt
- 5 Tbsp cream cheese (cold)
- 2 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- ⅛ Tsp fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or a loaf pan liner.
- Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 5-8 minutes, until fragrant. Let them cool completely.
- Place ½ cup of the cooled pecans in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, being careful not to over-process into butter. Roughly chop the remaining pecans and set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed. Then, add the maple syrup, vanilla, and mashed bananas, mixing until everything is smooth and combined.
- In a medium bowl, mix the ground pecans, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Then, fold in the chopped pecans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Start checking at the 50-minute mark by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the center—it should come out clean. If not, bake for an additional 5 minutes at a time until done.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the banana bread is cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and salt, then continue beating until light and fluffy, scraping the sides as needed.
- Once the bread is cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top. If you like, sprinkle chopped pecans and drizzle a bit of maple syrup on top.
Notes
- The cream cheese should be cold for best results.
- Store the banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg