Banana Bars

These soft banana bars with banana frosting rely on ripe mashed bananas, walnuts, confectioners' sugar, shortening, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 172 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.5 cup chopped walnuts
• 0.5 cup milk
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup shortening
• 0.5 ripe banana
• 0.25 teaspoon lemon juice

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Step 2

Beat sugar and shortening together in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in 1 banana, walnuts, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool bars in the pan on a wire rack.

Step 4

To make the frosting: Beat confectioners' sugar, 1/2 banana, butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Spread over cooled bars; cut into squares.