Banana Bread Brownies with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

What do you have planned for Mother’s Day this year? Are you brunching with your family? Or making breakfast in bed for your Mom? We are having brunch at my sister in law’s and last year on Mother’s Day was the first time I had a banana bread brownie. She made delicious ones topped with a creamy frosting. They were so good and I have thought of them many times since last year.

I am not sure what the frosting was on the original banana bread I had at my sister in law’s, but since I love to eat bananas and peanut butter as a healthy afternoon snack, I thought the combination would work perfectly. These brownies aren’t quite as healthy, ah-hem, or not really healthy at all, but I did lighten them slightly by using an all natural sweetener substitute. Feel free to use regular sugar if you’d like! They do taste just like my favorite snack though, but so much more delicious! The brownie is dense and chewy and just slightly sweet, and the frosting is rich and creamy and adds a touch of sweetness, but with salty undertones from the peanut butter. These brownies stay so moist from the tangy sour cream and the slight tang from the cream cheese really plays off that nicely.

Since these are reminiscent of banana bread, they would go great with your Mother’s Day Brunch Menu! I prefer these served cold straight from the fridge, so they pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee. I really hope you try these Banana Bread Brownies with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. You certainly won’t be sorry!

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Banana Bread Brownies with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• For the Bars:
• 1 ½ cups sugar or 3/4 cup Splenda/Truvia Baking Blend
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup butter softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¾ cups 3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• For the Frosting:
• 4 oz. cream cheese very soft
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3-4 tbsp. milk plus more as needed
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 by 13 pan with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add in the mashed bananas and vanilla and mix again, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add your flour, baking soda, and salt and beat again for another minute or until mixture is smooth, with some small banana chunks remaining.
5. Pour batter into your greased pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until sides start to brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
6. Once brownies are cool, make the frosting.
7. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and peanut butter until very smooth.
8. Add 2 tsp. of milk and beat to incorporate. Add more milk if mixture still seems too thick to move around freely in the bowl.
9. Add the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating to combine after each addition. Once all sugar is incorporated, add more milk if you don't have a frosting like consistency.
10. Add milk and beat after each addition until you achieve a thick, but spreadable frosting.  
11. Spread frosting over your brownies and then put in the fridge to set. T
12. he brownie actually get better as they sit, moister and denser. So feel free to make these ahead and serve them the next day. I think these taste better cold, but serve at any temperature you desire! Enjoy!

Bar Recipe Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Recipe first appeared on PinkWhen.com