This Brown Butter Rum Raisin Banana Bread is a sinfully delicious combination of nutty brown butter, rum soaked raisins and incredibly moist banana bread! So delicious, you won’t want the loaf to end!
You should know you have been missed! I miss my regular chats with you and sharing random Lindsey Anecdotes. I miss cooking, baking (outside of class) and bringing you my absolute favorites.
Culinary school and this move have been quite the adjustment, and I am, honestly, just trying to keep up while maintaining my sanity. (Y’all want me to be sane, right?)
I promise a more regular post schedule in the future, but to tide you over, I’m sharing this banana bread. It’s the first thing I’ve baked in my new kitchen. And it's EPIC.
The brown butter and four bananas makes for a delightfully moist quick bread with a crispy, crunchy exterior. Each bite offers up sweet, nutty banana flavor with little bursts of extra sweetness and a hint of rum from the raisins.
This easy recipe doesn’t require a mixer, a blender, or any other fancy contraption; just good old-fashioned elbow grease, and, honestly, it doesn’t even take much of that!
My bananas were on death’s door, but as long as they are at least spotted you will have great banana flavor that won’t be overpowered by the brown butter.
For the love of all things decadent, and for that crunchy exterior, I butter and sugar my loaf pan. Sure it adds a few extra calories, but it tastes soooo good, and, let’s be honest, this bread isn’t exactly healthy.
It’s a little trick I learned from Dorothy that makes for a extra crunchy and sweet exterior that highlights how soft and moist the bread is on the inside.
I realized 30 minutes into baking this Brown Butter Rum Raisin Banana Bread that I had no toothpicks, no bamboo skewers and, thus, no means of testing for doneness. I went by sight and, while it was fully baked, it could have used another 5-8 minutes in the oven. You, of course, will not have this problem because you are always 100% prepared.
This bread will have you buying extra bananas just so you “have to make it”. I know; I’ve been there.
Recipe
Brown Butter Rum Raisin Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons rum (dark rum)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (cut in pieces)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (Don’t leave this out! Please.)
- 4 medium (very ripe, bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cups dark brown sugar (packed)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten )
- Extra butter and granulated sugar for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a small bowl place raisins and rum; soak until the raisins are plump and the rum is almost completely absorbed. You can speed up this process by placing the raisin and rum in a small saucepan over low heat. If you choose to use the heating method, add an extra tablespoon of rum. You don’t want to boil them and make sure they are cool before adding to the batter!
- Coat a standard loaf pan with butter; sprinkle the pan with some granulated sugar, and tap the pan on each side to completely coat in sugar. You can also use flour instead
- In another small saucepan melt butter over medium heat and cook, swirling occasionally, until it begins to brown. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl when it takes on a nutty aroma and little brown bits get stuck to the bottom of the pan. Make sure you scrape out all the brown bits!!! That is flavor! Allow it to cool slightly before mixing the rest of the batter.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl mash the bananas with a fork until there are no large visible pieces left; add the raisins, vanilla, brown sugar, and browned butter; whisk to combine. Add the eggs and whisk until there are no visible streaks of egg and you have a homogeneous mixture.
- Add the flour mixture and fold in until just mixed. Be careful not to over mix or the bread will be tough and chewy.
- Bake in preheated oven 45-60 minutes. This time will vary greatly by oven – start checking on it after about 40 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few clinging crumbs. There should be no wet streaks .
Wow, this is delicious! I never tried brown butter before but am amazed at the difference it makes! This is so yummy. I spread half tge batter and then added slices of banana and then the rest of tge batter. It came out great!
That is a great idea, Carol! I also love when the bananas bake on top because they caramelize and take on even more complexity! You're making me crave this again.
When do you add the brown butter?
My apologies Lizzy! It goes in the main mixing bowl with the bananas. I will update the instructions.
I was craving rum raisin something so when I saw this recipe I had to try it. It's delicious. Mine probably could have baked longer but I took it out when the toothpick came out clean. The crunchy bottom and sides are extra yummy. Nice to have that with the moist bread. The rummy raisins work beautifully with the bananas. Thanks for sharing!!
I'm glad you enjoyed Lisa! That is odd the toothpick came out clean and it was underbaked. Just between us girls, my mom and I used to purposefully underbake ours! And then we would dig in when it was still hot in the pan lol
Please tell me what if i omit the bananas will that be ok....as i wanted just a Rum and raisin cake...
thx
Hmmm that is an excellent question, Bernie....The problem is that the bananas are adding moisture to the cake in addition to flavor. If you want to omit them and try the recipe, try adding 1/2 c whole milk instead and see how that goes. The batter should be thick. Happy baking! Make sure to let me know how it goes!
Love the smell in my house right now. A loaf in the oven. Something I noticed in the recipe though, it doesn't say anywhere when to add the butter. I threw it into the banana mixture just before the flour but I almost missed it because my kitchen is a mess. 🙂 The bowl with melted butter was hiding a bit. Lots of baking going on. I hope I did the right thing. Love the sugar coating in the pan. 🙂
Hi Carol! I am so sorry! You are absolutely right and I forgot to type when to add the butter! It does go in with the bananas and vanilla, so you did exactly the right thing. Thank you so much for letting me know, and I have already updated the recipe with your correction. Happy baking! (Isn't the sugar coating in the pan the best?! Just wait until it comes out and there is a sweet crunchy coating on the bread. Mmmm)
This loaf is exactly what I need this morning Lindsey! It makes me want to sink my teeth into it!
Oh my. It's amazing!! Love that flavor combo, and the crunchy outside too!
Lindsey, I had no idea you recently moved from Atlanta to New York City to attend pastry school!!! WOW! that is sooo awesome!! I'm sure you're overwhelmed now. . not only a new school but new city too. . I hope you are able to enjoy it! I found my love for cooking and baking later in life and if I could turn back the clock (before getting married and before kids), I would totally have gone to culinary school!!! congrats! so happy for you. . and this brown butter rum raisin banana bread. . oh my gawd. . LOVE!
Thank you so much, Alice! You nailed it- it is so overwhelming especially with the blog. Hopefully you'll still get the chance to go - it has been life changing!
What a fantastic tip to butter and sugar the loaf pan - the next time I make a loaf I will make sure to use that - or - better yet - I will wait for you to come back and give me one! 🙂 This loaf takes decadent to a whole other level!
Haha! Now you're talking 🙂
Oh my goodness.. You won't mind if I just steal that entire gorgeous loaf of heaven right now will you?! I am seriously swooning here, Linsdsey! This is my DREAM banana bread! Love love that there's rum and raisins thrown in there! Pinning. 🙂
You're back!! This just made my day! Granted, it's Monday and there's a lot of snow outside...so it doesn't take much to make my day today. But don't let that discourage you...I'm excited to hear about Lindsey's new adventures in the City! Also, I'm tempted to go buy a bunch of bananas today and hide them in the cabinet. Then when I find them again next week, they'll be perfect for this amazing bread. Let's just hope I find them next week and not sometime in April.
P.S. You had me at rum-soaked raisins.
This bread looks amazing! So rich with the brown butter and I love the creativity with the rum raisin twist!
This looks amazing Lindsey!!!! I am loving the looks of the top of this bread. I would be the jerk stealing all of it 🙂 Browned butter 4 life.
Epic, is right! Love, love, love the rum raisins in this special banana bread made with brown butter. Look at that crumb! Mmm. We have all missed you, Linds. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and have a great week!
Brown butter+rum=amazing! Lovely pics too!
I have a few bananas in my fruit bowl that I've now found their true purpose in life. You, Lindsey, are the only person I know who can make photos of banana bread look that good. Seriously! This looks SO good.
Yes, we do want you to be sane! A move and culinary school is a big adjustment and I'm sure you are SO busy! I will be here when you can get back to regular posting. 🙂
I love your photos of this bread, Lindsey! Just gorgeous. I've totally been buying extra bananas lately just for baking, and some of them need to be made into this bread!
Lol thanks, Kristine!!!
You have been missed too but we totally understand and want you to keep your sanity 🙂 Love this banana bread, it looks perfect and those rum raisins sound incredible!
Just when I think that there are enough banana bread recipes in the universe, someone brilliant proves me wrong. Rum raisin and banana flavors pair so well, that of course it makes a great bread!
Glad to see you back, Lindsey! I do want you to be sane, so no pressure on posting more -- you have a major life adjustment going on. 🙂 Love the sound of this bread, because brown butter is the best, and those rum soaked raisins sound fantastic! Pinned. 🙂
Mmmm now that sounds like my kind of banana bread! A little bit of booze always helps 🙂
Haha! I couldn't agree more, June!
Yay! A new post! Have missed my AHC fix! This looks soooo yummy!
Thanks, mom! I know you are always in the mood for banana bread!
This looks insanely delicious! I love that you put rum in this. amazing. I'm eating this for breakfast and I won't feel even the slightest guilt 🙂
Oh wow! This looks so good...I usually have bananas that are starting to spot but of course, today I dont. Going out to get bananas...I need to make this asap!
Don't you hate that, Veronica?! I just bought 12 more just for myself today...looks like more bread is in my future!