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This Salted Maple Banana Bread is moist and tender, with fluffy cream cheese frosting swirled with homemade maple caramel, and topped with flaky sea salt. It’s exactly what I want to bake on a cool fall morning and enjoy cozy on the couch with a matcha latte.
I have a banana bread for every season and mood: Blueberry Banana Bread for spring, Strawberry Banana Bread for summer, and Tropical Banana Bread when you need a mental trip to Hawaii. For cozy season, this salted maple version is it. I can’t get over the sweet smell of warm, caramelized maple syrup and butter. Oh, and if you have extra caramel, pour it over my Pumpkin Pancakes! I promise it’s all the fall feels in every bite.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Salted Maple Banana Bread
- Mashed banana – You’ll need about three ripe bananas for sweetness, moisture, and plenty of banana flavor. I like using bananas with plenty of brown speckles all over for the perfect ripeness.
- Maple syrup – Maple syrup flavors the loaf, is the base of the salted maple caramel, and gets mixed into the frosting. Pure amber or dark maple syrup will provide the richest flavor.
- Unsalted butter and oil – Melted butter adds richness, while oil helps the banana bread stay moist and tender. Any neutral oil can be used in place of the avocado oil.
- Cream cheese – My favorite ingredient to use in frosting. It adds a creamy, fluffy texture and a mildly tangy flavor.
- All-purpose flour – This gives the banana bread enough structure while keeping the crumb soft and tender. Measure it by weight, if possible, too much flour could lead to a dry loaf.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Salted Maple Banana Bread
- Mix the batter. Whisk together the melted butter, oil, mashed banana, granulated sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Then fold in the flour.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes
- Make the salted maple caramel. Simmer the maple syrup until it reaches 235°F. Then stir in the butter and heavy cream. Let cool.
- Prepare the frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, softened butter, and powdered sugar. Then add 2 tablespoons of salted maple caramel, beating for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Decorate the loaf. Spread the frosting over the completely cooled banana bread.
- Dollop spoons of caramel on top and swirl it into the frosting.
- Finish with flaky sea salt, slice up the loaf, and enjoy!
Quick Tips for the Best Salted Maple Banana Bread
Use ripe bananas. The bananas should be very yellow at the very least but brown speckled bananas are best. We want a sweet banana flavor.
Avoid overmixing. Fold in the flour only until the batter comes together. Mixing too much can make the loaf dense or tough.
Watch the maple syrup closely. It can bubble up as it cooks, so stir frequently and use a thermometer to determine when it reaches 235°F.
Cool the loaf completely before frosting. Even a slightly warm loaf can melt the cream cheese frosting and cause it to slide off.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: Bake the banana bread up to 1 day in advance and keep it tightly wrapped at room temperature before frosting.
Storage: Once frosted, it’s suggested to cover and refrigerate the banana bread for up to 3 days because the frosting contains cream cheese. (I have never had a problem leaving it out at room temp for a day or two but if your kitchen is very warm, I’d definitely store the loaf in the fridge.) The unfrosted loaf can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Salted Maple Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1⅓ cups (300g) mashed banana, from about 3 bananas
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (70g) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
Salted Maple Caramel:
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Salted Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups (150g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted maple caramel
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease and line an 8-inch x 4-inch or a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan, and put a piece of parchment that spans just the center length with the ends of the parchment hanging over the edge of the pan for an easy way to release the loaf to cool.
- To a medium bowl, add the melted butter (make sure the butter isn’t hot), oil, mashed banana, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla paste, and eggs, whisk to combine. Then, whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Finally, add the flour and use a large silicone spatula to mix everything just until the batter has come together, trying not to over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the pan and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely.
To Make the Salted Maple Caramel:
- In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, bring the maple syrup to a simmer. Allow the maple syrup to cook down and bubble, stirring frequently (to avoid bubbling over) until it reaches 235degreesF, about 5-7 minutes. Then stir in the butter until melted into the maple syrup and turn off the heat. Now, stir in the heavy cream and salt until combined. Allow the salted maple caramel to cool and thicken, about 1 hour.
To Make the Salted Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer, add the cream cheese and beat it until smooth. Next, add the butter and beat it until smooth, about 15 seconds.
- Add the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the salted maple caramel. Beat for a full 2 minutes for fluffy and smooth frosting. If the frosting is a bit loose, just pop it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up.
- Once the loaf is cooled, dollop the frosting over the top of the loaf and use the back of a spoon to swirl it all over. Drizzle the loaf with the rest of the salted maple caramel, sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt, and slice it up.
- Store any leftover banana bread tightly wrapped with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Quick Tips
Use ripe bananas. The bananas should be very yellow at the very least but brown speckled bananas are best. We want a sweet banana flavor. Avoid overmixing. Fold in the flour only until the batter comes together. Mixing too much can make the loaf dense or tough. Watch the maple syrup closely. It can bubble up as it cooks, so stir frequently and use a thermometer to determine when it reaches 235°F. Cool the loaf completely before frosting. Even a slightly warm loaf can melt the cream cheese frosting and cause it to slide off.Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: Bake the banana bread up to 1 day in advance and keep it tightly wrapped at room temperature before frosting. Storage: Once frosted, it’s suggested to cover and refrigerate the banana bread for up to 3 days because the frosting contains cream cheese. (I have never had a problem leaving it out at room temp for a day or two but if your kitchen is very warm, I’d definitely store the loaf in the fridge.) The unfrosted loaf can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
