I've had Melissa Clark's Chocolate-Crusted Banana Blondies on my to-bake list for a long time. But it seemed that every time I had some ripe bananas on hand, I was missing the other key ingredient for the bars -- chocolate wafer cookies. I used to always make my own chocolate cookies whenever a recipe called for chocolate cookie crumbs. But after making a couple of desserts for last year's holiday party where crusts made from homemade cookies yielded suboptimal results, I've started keeping Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers in the house, and using them for projects like the Classic Diner-Style Chocolate Pie from and Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust from Baked: New Frontiers.
If you're using store-bought chocolate wafers, this recipe comes together quickly. To make the crust, you grind the chocolate cookies into crumbs in a food processor, and add brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. You press the mixture into a parchment-lined 9-in by 13-inch pan and bake the crust until firm.
For the banana blondie portion of the recipe, you whisk together mashed bananas (I used two average-sized bananas, which had a total weight of 220 grams), eggs, dark brown sugar, and vanilla (or you can use rum instead of the vanilla); mix in browned butter; and fold in flour, chopped walnuts, and salt. You pour the banana batter over the partially-cooked crust, sprinkle on some flaky salt, and bake the bars until firm.
I liked the way the finished bars looked with the three distinct colors of the chocolate crust, yellow blondie, and dark golden brown top. The crust held together well and was not crumbly or too firm. And these bars were amazing. The blondie had a intense caramel-banana flavor and an immensely satisfying rich, chewy, sticky texture that was a fantastic contrast with the crisp crust. The banana portion of the bars would have delicious even on its own, but the pairing with the chocolate crust really takes these bars over the top.
These blondies do an amazing job of showcasing the sweet flavor of bananas and I could eat a pan of them. They are simple bars, but one of the best-tasting banana desserts I've ever had.
Recipe: "Chocolate-Crusted Banana Blondies" by Melissa Clark, printed in The New York Times.
Previous Posts:
If you're using store-bought chocolate wafers, this recipe comes together quickly. To make the crust, you grind the chocolate cookies into crumbs in a food processor, and add brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. You press the mixture into a parchment-lined 9-in by 13-inch pan and bake the crust until firm.
For the banana blondie portion of the recipe, you whisk together mashed bananas (I used two average-sized bananas, which had a total weight of 220 grams), eggs, dark brown sugar, and vanilla (or you can use rum instead of the vanilla); mix in browned butter; and fold in flour, chopped walnuts, and salt. You pour the banana batter over the partially-cooked crust, sprinkle on some flaky salt, and bake the bars until firm.
These blondies do an amazing job of showcasing the sweet flavor of bananas and I could eat a pan of them. They are simple bars, but one of the best-tasting banana desserts I've ever had.
Recipe: "Chocolate-Crusted Banana Blondies" by Melissa Clark, printed in The New York Times.
Previous Posts:
- "One Tasty Chocolate-Banana Loaf Leads to Another: Marbled Banana Bread," June 7, 2019.
- "Squidgy for Sure: Banana Blondies," May 28, 2019.
- "Name Checks Out: Best Banana Cake," May 30, 2018.
- "Foiled By Foil?: Banana Crunch Beer Brownies," May 25, 2018.
- "Bananas and Chocolate? Sweet!: Chocolate Banana Swirl Cake," May 13, 2018.
- "Drip, Pour, or Spread Some More: Espresso Banana Cake," April 12, 2018.
- "Baked Sunday Mornings: Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Pastry Cream," October 8, 2017.
- "Am I Delirious or Is This Chocolate Unmeltable?: Cabin Fever Caramel Banana Bars," January 25, 2017.
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