Sweet, indulgent, and perfect for any occasion, these Dulce de Leche Banana Bars are sure to be a hit. Plus, they’re easy to make so you can whip them up in no time. Ready to get baking? Let’s do this!
Banana Bars with Dulce de Leche
As odd as it may be, I love baking with bananas but I don’t really enjoy eating bananas. It’s a texture thing, I think. In any case, you can always sign me up for banana bread, cake, cookies, or most any banana treat. And now I have these Dulce de Leche Banana Bars to add to that list.
There are so many things to love about these banana bars. They’re wonderfully soft and moist. The texture is a bit like banana bread but a little sturdier. That makes them easy to serve and to eat out of hand. Serve these as an afternoon snack, pack them in your lunch, or enjoy them as a simple dessert.
Then there’s the flavor. Wow, are these things good! The addition of dulce de leche to all that banana deliciousness is just fantastic. I like to swirl the dulce de leche into the batter instead of mixing it into the batter. You may not necessarily see the swirl like you might with something of a more contrasting color, but I love that pretty, shiny top that you get from having most of the dulce de leche near the top of the bars.
If you’ve never tried the combination of bananas and dulce de leche, I urge you to do so as soon as possible. That rich, caramel-like flavor is such a great complement to bananas. I find it flat-out irresistible. If you’re a believer in that tasty pair, too, then be sure to try Dulce de Leche Banana Pudding Bars and Dulce de Leche Banana Bread, too.
What You’ll Need
Besides the bananas and dulce de leche, these banana bars are made with basic baking ingredients. Here are some notes about the ingredients, but be sure to scroll to the recipe below for specific measurements.
- All-purpose flour – As always, measure by weight or spoon and sweep.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter – After melting the butter, allow it to cool slightly. It should be warm but not hot.
- Brown sugar – I like light brown sugar here, but you can use dark brown sugar if you want a more pronounced molasses flavor.
- Egg – Set out the egg before baking so that it can come to room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Bananas – Two or three medium bananas should give you enough for this recipe.
- Dulce de leche – This is a thick, caramel-like spread. Look for it alongside the other spreads, in the international foods section, or with the ice cream toppings.
How to Make Dulce de Leche Banana Bars
Making these bars is about as straightforward as baking gets. Everything mixes in one bowl, and you won’t even need your mixer for these. Just grab a bowl and a mixing spoon, and you’re set!
Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and 8-inch square pan. If you like, you can line the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper.
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Mix the wet ingredients. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Finish mixing. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix just until combined. Stir in the bananas.
Add the dulce de leche. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Dollop the dulce de leche over the top of the batter, and use a thin knife to swirl it into the batter. Alternatively, you can mix the dulce de leche into the batter before transferring it to the pan.
Bake. Place the pan in the heated oven, and bake 35 to 40 minutes. The bars are done when a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the bars. Place the pan on a wire rack, and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
Tips for Success
You’ll love how quick and easy these banana bars are! To make yours the best they can be, here are a few tips.
- Don’t over-mix. Too much mixing leads to tough baked goods.
- Use a light-colored metal baking pan. You’ll get more evenly and thoroughly baked bars with this type of pan.
- Bananas not quite ripe enough? Remember that the riper the banana, the more flavor and sweetness it has. If your bananas aren’t quite ready, see my tips for ripening bananas.
How to Store Dulce de Leche Banana Bars
After the bars have cooled, place them in an airtight container. They should keep up to 3 days. For longer storage, place the container in the refrigerator. Make doubly sure the container is airtight, as they can become dry in the refrigerator.
Can These Banana Bars Be Frozen?
Yes! Wrap the cooled bars in two layers of plastic wrap. Then wrap them again in aluminum foil or place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Properly stored, they should keep up to 3 months. Thaw the bars at room temperature.
Dulce de Leche Banana Bars
These easy Dulce de Leche Banana Bars have fantastic flavor and a soft texture. They make a great anytime treat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200g) firmly packed lightly brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (226g) mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
- 3 tablespoons dulce de leche*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cooled butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Mix in the bananas.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Dollop the dulce de leche over the top of the batter. Use a thin knife to swirl the dulce de leche into the batter. (Alternatively, you can mix it into the batter before transferring to the pan.)
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan before cutting into bars.
Notes
*Look for dulce de leche alongside other spreads, in the international foods section, or with the ice cream toppings.
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24 Comments on “Dulce de Leche Banana Bars”
I try and keep the number of ingredients I have in the pantry to a minimum. I never have Dulce de Leche, I just make my own:
Pop a tin of condensed milk in a pressure cooker and just cover with water.
Cook on high, 15lb’s pressure, for 40 minutes.
Leave it in the pan to cool and you are done!
WOW these bars look so delicious and I love how moist the texture is!
These turned out great. Well received. Very easy and wonderful flavor. Thanks for a super keeper recipe.
I’m so glad you liked them, Linda!
I made these yesterday just to “check them out”……and they are marvelous! So moist……and they were the perfect (if not the healthiest…..but then again maybe they were!) morsel to go with my coffee this morning!! Thank you, Jennifer!
My pleasure, Nikki! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Well, first I tend to “wing it” with some recipes.
I did not have Dulce de Leche
I do love peanut butter with my banana bread (or cake)
I did have caramel sauce so I used caramel sauce that I had mixed some peanut butter into for Ice cream I had last weekend.
I followed the rest of the ingredients and instructions.
But when I got to putting the batter into the 8 inch pan I thought..there is not enough batter! so I switched to a loaf pan.
Then swirled the peanut butter caramel on the top and into the batter.
Even in the smaller pan these were very thin.
But the taste was very good!
I will make these again, doubling the batter and using the 8 inch pan.
And I will keep the peanut butter caramel just cuz that was so awesome!
Peanut butter and caramel are a great pair!
I did the same, switched to an 8″x8″ and they turned out great!
G’day to you.
I just love your site, you put up great recipes WELL DONE . I shall be making these today.
These look great, and not as much guilt involved as i would have thought, looking at the ingredients! Also, nice pics. I’m assuming u use a professional camera, and it really adds to the recipe. : )
Thanks, Missy!
Awesome they were worth it. Used pb and carmal sauce and it turned out perfect. Thank you
That’s great to hear, Katie!
Can we swap the all purpose flour with oatmeal flour?
I don’t have much experience baking with oatmeal flour, so I can’t give you a definitive answer. I’d recommend following the manufacturer’s guidelines for substitution.
LOVE this recipe. Never been able to make a banana cake. It’s so easy and delicious. Have made it five times in two weeks!
I’m so glad you like it, Emma!
I’ll try these today. I made bloodies with your recipe last week and everyone loved them . Thanks for sharing
Enjoy! 🙂
Hi! I wonder what would be the measurement of ingredients if I am planning to make this at 9×13 baking pan/loaf bread pan?
You can double it for a 9×13 pan.
Can I use condensed milk instead of dulce de leche?
I Love How easy and delicious are your recipes ❤️
Hi, Katherine. There are ways to make dulce de leche from condensed milk, although I’ve never tried it. If you do a Google search for how to do that, you’ll find several options for how to do that. From what I’ve read, using your oven to make it is the safer way.