Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting!

 

We eat a lot of bananas at our house or really, I should say, my husband eats a lot of bananas.  Therefore, every time I want to make a recipe with bananas it's a struggle to keep them long enouigh to get good and ripe to bake with..  He will eat them up every time!   This recipe uses two very ripe bananas and I think I bought bananas three times to get two to use.   I am going to have to find a good hiding place for them next time!

When my husband finally got the finished product he loved these and was glad I made him leave the last two bananas.   If you love banana bread, these are even better!   They are also really easy which is always nice!   

Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1  1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped (optional)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

4 Tbs. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs, sour cream, cinnamon and vanilla, and beat just until incorporated.  

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  

Gradually add to the wet mixture and mix with the mixer until well blended. Stir in the bananas.

 Fold in the nuts if you are using nuts!

Spray a 10" x 15"  jelly roll pan with nonstick baking spray and pour the batter evenly in the pan.   Bake for 20-25 minutes.   This bakes fast because it's thin so don't over bake.  Test with a pick at 20 minutes and if it comes out clean it's done.

Cool the bars completely before frosting.   While they cool makes your cream cheese frosting.  Beat the cream cheese and the butter until fluffy in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer.  Add the vanilla and gradually add the confectioner's sugar.   Frost the cooled bars!  

Cut in squares and serve!  These are great for breakfrast or brunch, an afternoon snack or dessert after supper!   

These won't last long, but what is leftover, store in the fridge overnight! 

Ruth Ann's Banana Cream Cheese Muffins!

The recipe for these "Banana Cream Cheese Muffins" came by way of my parent's neighbor, Juanita.  She got the recipe from a friend of hers, Ruth Ann.  Not only did Juanita provide us the recipe, she baked a batch of the muffins and brought them over with it!   I love when that happens!   I especially love it when the muffins are this delicious! 

The beauty of this recipe is that it is so flexible.  You can substitute zucchini for bananas and make them zucchini muffins and you can also make this into banana or zucchini bread.  

Here is what you will need for these yummy muffins:

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

3 very ripe bananas, mashed  ( to make zucchini muffins substitute 2 cups unpeeled, shredded zucchini)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla together for about 3 minutes.   Add in the cream cheese and beat until smooth.

Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix just until combined and dry ingredients are moist.

Add in the nuts and bananas (or zucchini).

Spray a 12 cup muffins pan with nonstick spray or use liners.

This makes 12 large muffins or 18 smaller ones.  Bake the larger ones for about 25 minutes.  The smaller ones will take about 20 minutes.  The baking time will vary according to how full you fill your muffins tins.  Test with a pick inserted in the center.  It will come out clean when they are done.

Hawaiian Banana Bread!

This recipe for banana bread is absolutely the moistest I have ever made.  I think the addition of the pineapple probably has something to do with that, even though the taste if pineapple is not all that obvious in it.  

This recipe makes two nice size loaves of banana bread also.   I serve it with a Tropical Cream Cheese Spread that just makes it extra yummy!   Here is what you will need for this banana bread and the spread:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1  1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 bananas)

1 (8oz.) can crushed pineapple, well drained ( reserve the juice for the spread)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Tropical Cream Cheese Spread

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 Tbs. honey

2 Tbs. of the reserved pineapple juice

1/4 cup maraschino cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Mix together all of the wet ingredients. 

Gradually stir in the dry ingredients and mix just until blended.  Stir in the chopped nuts last.  Divide evenly between two 9"x5"x3" loaf pans that have been well greased and floured or sprayed with nonstick spray for baking.  Bake for 60-65 minutes. 

Allow to cool in the pans for about 15 - 20 minutes and then turn them out. 

To prepare the Tropical Cream Cheese Spread, mix all of the ingredients with a mixer or in a food processor and then place in a bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve. 

This bread is great for breakfast,  with a cup of coffee or a good snack for the kids.