Pecan Dulce de Leche Banana Bread

It felt brisk and chilly when I woke up this morning. While I admit that I have mixed feelings about this since summer is my one true love, there are a few things I appreciate about the new season.

Chief among those is the fact that cooler days are wonderful for baking cozy and decadent desserts like this Pecan Dulce de Leche Banana Bread.

A dense, moist banana bread topped with a shower of chopped pecans and plenty of dulce de leche caramel drizzled and swirled throughout seems like a nice way to start out this new season.

The basic bread is just as simple as any other banana bread: you mash and stir, but then you get a little wild with the toppings.

Chopped pecans--which I recommend actually chopping by hand for the best texture--form a gorgeous crust on the top of the bread. I prefer this to baking them into the batter because then you get that contrast of soft cake and crunchy nuts on top.

And then there is the dulce de leche, which is the best part. You can make it homemade if you prefer, but I actually just used a jarred one I got at the grocery store (it's usually near the condensed milk and other baking supplies). The trick here is to layer it into the cake. You want some mixed into the batter, then some swirled in on top. Then a bit drizzled on with the pecans just before baking, and then...when it comes out of the oven?

That's when you go wild.

Drizzle it on all over. Let it drip and ooze down the sides. Get messy with it!

(You can even add a bit more to each slice as you serve it.)

 This isn't an austere, breakfast-like banana bread. This is rich, gooey, decadent, go-to-town-and-enjoy-it kind of banana bread.

(Which, does NOT mean that you can't have it for breakfast, mind you!)

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Loved this recipe? Here are a few other banana bread recipes you might like:

• Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
• Banana Bread Cookies
• Classic Banana Bread

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Thanks so much for reading!

Pecan Dulce de Leche Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf (about 8 servings)

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, peeled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups dulce de leche (homemade or store-bought)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt + more for garnish
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups pecans, roughly chopped


Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line a 4x8” loaf pan and set aside.

In a mixing bowl or the base of a mixer, beat together the bananas, sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the dulce de leche (don’t use all of it!). Add the flour, baking soda, an salt, and stir just until evenly combined.

Pour into your prepared baking dish, and drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the remaining dulce de leche. Add the pecans and press in slightly with your hands, then drizzle on another 1/4 cup of dulce de leche (again…don’t use it all!)

Bake about 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from loaf pan and let cool completely. Drizzle with all the remaining dulce de leche just before serving.