The instant that I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make these.  I had never heard of roasting bananas before, but it might be my favorite new trick.  Roasting the bananas made their natural flavor pop, enhanced their sweetness, and added a wonderful nuttiness.  And they turned such a lovely color, I wanted to eat them right off the baking sheet, out of the oven.

What can I even say about these bars?  Fantastic.  No.  What’s more than fantastic?  Perfect.  They were perfect.  Perfect out of the oven, and perfect the next morning with my coffee (my true test of a good breakfast sweet).  The slices of roasted banana blended perfectly with the moist, fluffy texture of the bars.  And the smell…oh, the smell…

Roasted Banana Bars with Maple Glaze

Recipe adapted from Tutti Dolci, originally from Cooking Light

For the Bars

2 cups sliced ripe banana

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, diced

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 mashed ripe banana

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

For the Glaze
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons low-fat milk (or more, depending on your desired consistency)

For the Bars

Lay your slices of banana in an even layer on a prepared cookie sheet.

Combine two tablespoons of brown sugar with the diced butter.

Cover your sliced bananas with the sugar mixture and bake at 400 degrees for twenty five minutes.

While the bananas are in the oven, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In a small bowl, combine mashed banana, vanilla, and milk.

In another, large ,bowl, cream your butter and sugar together.  Once smooth, add your flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture until you have a smooth, thick batter.

Gently fold in the slightly cooled roasted bananas.

Pour batter into a prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for eighteen to twenty minutes.

While the bars are in the oven, whisk together the glaze ingredients.  Add additional powdered sugar for a thicker glaze.  Once the bars are out of the oven and cooled, cut and glaze them (or glaze and cut, as you will).

Enjoy!