This Caramel Pecan Banana Bread recipe is swirled with homemade caramel sauce and topped with a crunchy pecan streusel topping. This is the BEST banana bread you will ever have. Trust me!
Love banana bread? Then try my Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread and Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bread!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox! You will also receive other new recipes in your inbox weekly!
Homemade Banana Bread with Caramel and Streusel Topping
I’ve found my new favorite banana bread recipe, and it involves gooey homemade caramel sauce and a crunchy streusel topping. This banana bread is incredibly moist, perfectly sweet with a crisp topping. Swirled with lots of caramel this banana bread is AMAZING.
I made my own caramel sauce for the bread. It’s super easy and only requires 4 ingredients. It can also be stored in the fridge for up to a month. Simply simmer brown sugar, heavy cream and butter until thickened. Stir in vanilla extract and store in the fridge.
This Caramel Pecan Banana Bread is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack! Enjoy warm with some butter, a cup of coffee, or a scoop of ice cream.
Key Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted butter softened to room temperature is always best for baking!
- Brown Sugar: I like to use light brown sugar in this banana bread recipe, but you can use dark if that’s what you have in your pantry. You can also make your own brown sugar by combining brown sugar + molasses.
- Eggs: Two large eggs at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract: Always opt for the real deal over the imitation stuff.
- Bananas: You’ll need 4 very ripe bananas for this banana bread recipe. (The browner, the better!)
- Buttermilk: Helps to keep the bread super moist and soft.
- Dry Ingredients: Comprised of all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Homemade Caramel Sauce: You only need 4 ingredients to make your own homemade caramel sauce — light brown sugar, unsalted butter, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.
- Homemade Pecan Streusel: You’ll need some flour, sugar, pecans and butter!
How To Make the Best Banana Bread
The trick to making a moist banana bread loaf with a tight crumb is to not over-mix the batter. You want to combine the wet and dry ingredients separately, then gently fold or mix them together until you see streaks of flour. Stop mixing at this point. You want the batter to be just incorporated.
When it’s time to bake, add the batter to the prepared loaf pan, and spoon the caramel sauce on top. Swirl the caramel sauce into the bread with a knife.
Then, prepare your homemade pecan streusel, and sprinkle it generously over the batter and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If the bread starts to get too brown, cover with aluminum foil). Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before releasing from the pan. Serve warm, and enjoy!
How To Make Homemade Caramel Sauce
Add all of the caramel ingredients except for the vanilla to a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat until thickened, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes. If the sauce isn’t getting a lot thicker, then you can turn up the heat a bit and keep and eye on it making sure to whisk constantly. (The sauce will thicken as it cools in the refrigerator). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Allow to cool in the saucepan.
Transfer to a container, and place in the refrigerator to firm up and cool. It’s best if the caramel isn’t hot when you add it to the banana bread batter so it can remain thick and collect at the top instead of pooling at the bottom of the loaf pan while the bread cooks.
How To Make a Streusel Topping
In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter for the pecan streusel topping until it is combined and crumbly (like wet sand). I use a fork to work the cold butter into the flour. You can also use a food processor with a couple of pulses, but be careful to not over-mix or make it paste-like. Stir in the pecans, then top your banana bread batter with the streusel. That’s it!
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
- Store leftover cooled banana bread in an airtight container, Ziplock bag, or sealed securely with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooked and cooled banana bread in an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheat banana bread by toasting it by the loaf or slice in the oven until warmed through, or zap in the microwave for a few seconds.
Variations
- Fold in some nuts to the batter before baking for added crunch!
- Add some dried fruit like raisins or cranberries.
- Make this banana bread even more rich with some semisweet or dark chocolate chips!
More Easy Banana Bread Recipes To Try
- Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Dulce de Leche Banana Bread
- Caramel Pecan Banana Bread
- Healthy Banana Bread
Caramel Pecan Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce, recipe follows
Pecan Streusel
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons, unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add in eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add in vanilla and mashed bananas.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low add half of the dry ingredients followed by all of the milk. Mix until just combined then stir in the rest of the dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan and spoon the caramel sauce on top. Swirl the caramel sauce into the bread.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter until it is combined and crumbly (like wet sand). I use a fork to work the cold butter into the flour. You can also use a food processor with a couple of pulses. Stir in the pecans.
- Sprinkle streusel topping over the batter and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If the bread starts to get too brown cover with aluminum foil)
- Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely before releasing from the pan.
Caramel Sauce
- Add all of the ingredients except for the vanilla to a saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat until thickened stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. If the sauce isn't getting a lot thicker turn up the heat a bit and keep and eye on it making sure to whisk constantly. (The sauce will thicken as it cools in the refrigerator). Take off of the heat and stir in vanilla. Allow to cool in the saucepan.
- Transfer to a container and place in the refrigerator to firm up and cool.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
I'd love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don't forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Carol
Do I cool the caramel sauce so it is thicker before adding
Iit to the bread dough?
Kelley
Yes I would!
Dani
Hi,
does it need to be buttermilk or would regular milk work as well?
Nathan
Hi Dani,
One thing you can do instead of buttermilk is to use regular milk with vinegar in it. 1 Tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of milk. The milk will curdle and it will have the same texture and acidity level and work great!
I hope this helps! thanks for trying out the recipe and for commenting!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Patty Straub
The caramel sauce recipe makes more than the 1/4 cup in the ingredients list; do we actually use all that the sauce recipe makes, or just 1/4 cup?
Kelley Simmons
Hi Patty!
You just use 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce in this recipe. The extra you can store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks! Enjoy on ice cream, in cookies or other desserts!
Thanks,
Kelley