Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Crumble Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas (Mashed; use fully ripe bananas.)
• 1 stick unsalted butter (Browned and cooled slightly before mixing.)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar (For the batter.)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (For the batter.)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 0.25 tsp salt
• 0.667 cup chocolate chips (The creator specifically prefers mini chocolate chips.)
• 0.5 cup brown sugar (For the crumble.)
• 4 tbsp butter (Melted, for the crumble.)
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon (For the crumble.)
• 1 tsp molasses (The creator's secret ingredient for the crumble.)
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour (For the crumble.)
• butter (As needed to butter the baking dish or loaf pan.)

Steps

1. 1

   Brown the 1 stick of unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt, bubble, and develop golden-brown milk solids and a nutty aroma, then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly so it does not cook the egg.

2. 2

   Mash the ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl until mostly smooth, leaving a few small soft pieces if desired.

3. 3

   Add the browned butter, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Whisk until the mixture is evenly combined and glossy.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.

5. 5

   Add the dry mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir gently just until no dry streaks remain; do not overmix.

6. 6

   Add the chocolate chips and fold them through the batter. Mini chocolate chips are recommended by the creator, but regular chips may also be used.

7. 7

   Make the crumble in a separate bowl by combining the brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, molasses, and all-purpose flour. Stir until the mixture forms moist, crumbly clumps.

8. 8

   Butter a baking dish or loaf pan thoroughly. Transfer the banana bread batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.

9. 9

   Scatter the crumble evenly over the surface of the batter, covering the top without pressing it down.

10. 10

    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the pan in the oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

11. 11

    Loosely cover the top with aluminum foil so the crumble does not burn. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until the bread is set in the center and a tester inserted into the loaf comes out with moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

12. 12

    Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool before slicing, allowing the crumb to finish setting and the topping to firm.

Notes

The source permits either a baking dish or loaf pan. Brown the butter carefully until fragrant and golden, not dark or burnt. The total bake time is 50–55 minutes: 30 minutes uncovered, followed by 20–25 minutes loosely covered with foil.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• baking
• banana bread
• American
• vegetarian
• sweet
• chocolate chip
• brown butter