Banana Nut Bars

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter

  cold and cubed (2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

  packed
• 1 cup bananas

  mashed with a fork (2 medium bananas)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

  or soured milk (see note below)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

  (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup walnuts

  chopped, or pecans, (measure after chopping)
• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

  softened
• 1/2 cup salted butter

  softened (1 stick)
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

  (powdered sugar)
• 1/2 cup walnuts

  chopped, or pecans, (measure after chopping)

Instructions

• 1 BARS:
• 2 In a small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, bring butter and water to a
  boil.
• 3 Remove from heat; set aside.
• 4 In a small measuring cup, measure buttermilk or soured milk.
• 5 Stir in baking soda; set aside.
• 6 In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugars, bananas, buttermilk or soured milk,
  eggs and vanilla until well blended and smooth.
• 7 Add flour to sugar mixture.
• 8 Carefully beat in butter mixture until blended.
• 9 Stir in chopped walnuts or pecans.
• 10 Pour mixture into a greased 10×15” cookie sheet pan.
• 11 Bake at 350º for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of the
  pan comes out clean.
• 12 Cool bars in pan on wire rack.
• 13 In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
• 14 Add vanilla and beat again.
• 15 Gradually add confectioners’ sugar a cup at a time and beat after each addition
  until smooth.
• 16 Spread cream cheese mixture over top of cooled bars.
• 17 Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans.
• 18 Refrigerate a few hours before cutting into bars. 
• 19 Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Info