Maple Frosted Banana Bread Bars

These gluten free banana bread bars are moist, easy to make and the perfect cross between banana bread and banana cake. Finished with a simple maple cream cheese frosting to top it off!

These gluten free banana bars are the ultimate cross between banana cake and banana bread and I couldn’t be more obsessed. These banana bars have a moist texture that’s a cross between dense and fluffy -not quite cake like, not quite like a blondie, more like banana bread in bar form!

They’re topped with a maple cream cheese cinnamon frosting that pairs so well with the banana and can even be made dairy free. If you love this recipe, try my banana bread protein cookies next!

Before we get started…

• If you’ve made any of my banana bread or banana cake recipes before, you know I prefer to use banana puree instead of mashed banana. I find the texture is much better and you don’t end up with any gummy pockets which can happen with gluten free baked goods. If you don’t have access to a blender, just mash really well until there are no clumps!
• You need 1 1/2 cups of banana puree which will be about 4 medium bananas. Be sure to use very ripe and spotty bananas so you get the sweetest and strongest banana flavor possible.

How to make banana bread bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line with parchment paper a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted then slightly cooled butter, then whisk in both sugars until well combined.

Whisk in all remaining wet ingredients. Whisk in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour to measure.

Transfer to you prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 38-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Meanwhile, add the butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and beat with an electric mixer for about 1 minute.

Beat in the powdered sugar, followed by the maple syrup and cinnamon. Add in the heavy cream as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the frosting and top. Add some crushed walnuts and banana slices if desired. Slice, enjoy and try my gluten free banana bread next!

Ingredient swaps

Sugar. A mix of white and brown sugar will sweeten these bars but add a nice depth of flavor with the molasses from the brown sugar.

Butter. Butter will add richness and moisture to this recipe. You can use a dairy free butter if you need to make this dairy free. Oil will also work, if using coconut oil, make sure it is refined coconut oil.

Eggs. You need three eggs here which will help with the rise and create a fluffier texture. I do not recommend any swaps here, these bars will likely be very dense and a bit gummy if you use an egg substitute.

Yogurt. Greek yogurt will help add a lot of moisture to this recipe without the need for too much butter. Sour cream will have the same effect, but I prefer greek yogurt! You can use dairy free alternative here.

Flour. All purpose flour is the best kind of flour to use for these banana bread bars. I used gluten free of course, but you can swap for regular all purpose flour if you prefer. I do not recommend oat flour, almond flour etc.

How to store and freeze

At room temperature: These banana bars will store at room temperature, but only for about 1-2 days because of the cream cheese and butter in the frosting. If you’re making for a party and don’t need them prepped too far ahead of time, room temp is just fine!

In the fridge: I like to store these bars in the fridge, though keep in mind the frosting and bar texture will firm up because of the cooler temperatures, so I like to let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so they soften a bit.

In the freezer: You can definitely freeze these banana bread bars, but you will want to do so before frosting. You can freeze before slicing, or slice into bars, wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw, then frost and enjoy.

Pan size options

The smallest pan you can use here is what I used – a 9×13 pan. I like these bars on the thicker side, so they will be with that kind of pan. If you want them a bit thinner, you can use a jelly roll pan which is usually about a 10×15 inch pan. If you opt for a 10×15- the bake time will be shorter, closer to 20-25 minutes or so.

I do not recommend an 8×8 or 9×9 as these bars will be much too thick and take a very long time to bake.

More banana recipes to try!

• Marbled Banana Bread
• Banana Bread Donuts
• Banana Bread Granola
• Chocolate Banana Bread

If you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. Leave a comment and rating below and let me know how these turn out!