Name: The BEST Banana Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1 1/3 cups white sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 cup sour cream; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 cups flour; 3 medium ripe (the more ripe the better), bananas, mashed - with no lumps ((Should be a little over 1 cup)); 8 oz. cream cheese (1 block of cream cheese); 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick of butter); 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar (add as much as you like to get it as thick as you like)

The BEST Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect sweet treat! Use those ripe bananas for something other than banana bread!

This soft banana cake is baked in half sheet pan and is sweet, moist and full of delicious banana flavor with a smooth cream cheese frosting!

Perfect piece of soft banana cake with cream cheese frosting and half sheet pan of cake

The BEST Banana Bars wit Cream Cheese Frosting are the BEST thing you will ever eat! They are easy to make and so darn delicious. They are dangerously good…I could eat the entire pan!

The Bananas

Once you make The Best Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting you will never use those ripe bananas for anything but these Banana Bars! So long banana bread!

You will need to use ripe-really ripe bananas for this recipe! Did you know that the more ripe/black and spotted your bananas are the more strong of a banana taste they have? Not to mention they mash up much easier for baking!

So let those bananas sit out for a few days and do not throw them away (or make banana bread)- make The BEST Banana Bars!

Ripe bananas for baking - dark spots, almost black for better mashing and better banana flavor

The Banana Bars Cake

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. You can use your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, a hand mixer or mix the cake by hand.

You will cream your butter and sugar together first. Then, add in your eggs, sour cream and vanilla and mix well.

The sour cream seems weird, but I promise it doesn’t make the cake taste weird it just makes it super soft! (Try my Super Soft Sugar Cookies that are made with sour cream- you won’t be sorry!)

Last, add your baking soda, salt and flour. Mix well.

Pour your cake batter into a greased half sheet pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

The cake is done when the edges of the cake are golden brown and pulling away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick will come out clean when poked in the center of the cake when the cake is done.

Take the cake out of the oven when it is done and let it cool completely while you make the frosting.

banana cake batter in a greased half sheet pan — cake before baking

soft banana cake Banana Bars in a half sheet pan baked — cake before baking

The Pan for The BEST Banana Bars

You will need a half sheet pan to make these banana bars. It measures about 18×13 inches on the outside of the pan, and is about 1 inch high.

This is the half sheet pan I love and use:

Cream Cheese Frosting

All you need for the perfect cream cheese frosting is softened butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla extract and powdered sugar.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, a hand mixer or by hand, add all of the ingredients together and mix well!

TIP: Make sure the cream cheese and butter is fully softened (I let mine sit out on my counter for a good hour or more). If they are not fully softened your frosting will be lumpy- still yummy but lumpy!

Cream Cheese Frosting, smooth and creamy in the mixer with a whisk attachment

Once the cake bars have cooled completely, frost the bars, cut, serve and enjoy!

Banana Bars, banana cake in a half sheet pan with cream cheese frosting

The BEST Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are waiting for you! Hurry and go make them today!

perfect bite of soft banana cake with cream cheese frosting

Banana Bars soft banana cake with cream cheese frosting held in hand for a yummy snack

For another recipe to use those ripe bananas (that isn’t banana bread) try my Soft Banana Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting (they do not disappoint!).

For another delicious treat, try my Yummy Carrot Cake (this one is totally healthy too since it is made with real carrots…ha!). Also, try my Lemon Sheet Cake or Sheet Pan Apple Pie.

Here are some products I used to make this recipe:

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