Dulce De Leche Banana Bread With a Crisp Sugar Crust
By Pauline Ortiz
15 min
Prep
60 min
Cook
75 min
Total
10
Servings
Easy
Level
This dulce de leche banana bread recipe has a total cooking time of 1 hour and 15 minutes, including 15 minutes of prep time and 55 to 65 minutes of baking time. I follow this recipe when I want to use overripe bananas to make sliced bread with a sugary crust and swirls of dulce de leche.
I bake banana bread in a light-colored metal 9×5-inch loaf pan to avoid overbrowning the sides and bottom. I bake the banana bread in the loaf pan with a parchment sling so that it's easier to remove the cooled banana bread from the pan. Mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth but still with some pieces to create dark flecks in the final banana bread.
The recipe includes melted butter and oil mixed with both sugars to create a paste. Unchilled eggs are mixed into the paste, one at a time, until fully incorporated, followed by dry ingredients mixed into the batter until no dry streaks remain. I do not suggest using a machine to mix the batter because overmixing can lead to a tough cake.
Swimming dulce de leche in the batter helps preserve swirl shapes and other surface features on baked loaves and fills a hole poked by a toothpick. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into a nonswirled area of the loaf. A few moist crumbs will stick to the toothpick. Tent foil over the surface of the loaf after 40 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning.
What makes this special
- Prep time is 15 minutes. You shape the cookie by tracing figure eights with it in the baking pan.
- Two bowls and a fork are required to make this recipe. You will not need a mixer.
- Canola and vegetable oils are good choices. Use whatever neutral-flavored oil you have.
- One loaf serves 10 slices. This may be useful if you want to prepare breakfast over multiple days.
- The parchment sling makes it easy to remove the cooled loaf from the pan without removing other things.
- A tablespoon of sugar is mixed in with the other ingredients before baking, not used as a topping.
Ingredients
- •1 ½ cups overripe bananas (mashed, heavily speckled or completely black, about 340g)
- •¾ cups dulce de leche (thick, canned or homemade, about 225g)
- •2 cups all-purpose flour (about 240g)
- •½ cups unsalted butter (melted, about 115g)
- •¼ cups neutral oil (canola or vegetable oil, about 60ml)
- •¾ cups dark brown sugar (packed, about 150g)
- •¼ cups granulated sugar (about 50g, plus 1 tbsp (15g) for the crust)
- •2 large eggs (room temperature, about 100g)
- •1 tsp baking soda (about 6g)
- •½ tsp fine sea salt (about 3g)
- •1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (about 15ml)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 2
Grease a 9×5-inch (23x13cm) light-colored metal loaf pan.
- 3
Line the pan with a parchment paper sling, leaving an overhang.
- 4
Mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth, leaving some texture.
- 5
Whisk the melted butter, neutral oil, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until they form a thick, smooth paste.
- 6
Whisk in the room-temperature eggs one at a time.
- 7
Whisk in the vanilla extract and mashed bananas.
- 8
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the wet mixture, then whisk briefly.
- 9
Fold in the all-purpose flour with a rubber spatula until the last streak of dry flour disappears.
- 10
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
- 11
Spoon dollops of half the dulce de leche over the batter and swirl it with a butter knife in figure-eight motions.
- 12
Pour the remaining batter over the first layer.
- 13
Dollop the remaining dulce de leche over the top and swirl it heavily across the surface.
- 14
Sprinkle 1 tbsp (15g) of granulated sugar evenly over the batter.
- 15
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the loaf has a deep golden-brown cracked top and a toothpick inserted into the center, avoiding a caramel pocket, comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- 16
Tent the loaf pan with aluminum foil if the crust browns too rapidly around the 40-minute mark.
- 17
Cool the loaf in the pan for exactly 15 minutes, then use the parchment sling to transfer it to a wire rack.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
385
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