Easy Toffee Banana Rum Bread

This is the banana bread you make when you want the house to smell like vacation, but you’re still in your sweats and slippers. It’s plush and tender, full of melty toffee bits that go a little sticky around the edges, and a warm hit of dark rum that makes the bananas taste like they’ve been sunbathing. Not fussy, not fancy—just wildly good and dangerously snackable.

My little family calls this the “party loaf.” My husband swears it’s the best “breakfast dessert” I make (zero judgment here), and our kid calls the toffee bits “sweet pebbles,” which, honestly, is accurate. We baked a loaf once at 9 p.m. “just to have for morning,” and somehow four slices vanished before it cooled. A neighbor “stopped by” and left with a warm heel wrapped in foil. It’s that kind of bread—chaotic, cozy, and impossible to ignore.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Toffee Banana Rum Bread

– It tastes like banana bread went on a Caribbean vacation and came back with stories.
– Mega-moist crumb thanks to sour cream and mashed bananas—no dry slices here.
– Toffee bits melt into tiny caramel pockets. The edges get chewy. You will fight for the corners.
– A splash of rum makes it smell bakery-level, but it’s still a one-bowl, weeknight-friendly situation.
– Works with sad, spotty bananas you forgot in the fruit bowl. Redemption loaf!

How to Make It

Okay, grab a 9×5 loaf pan and line it with a sling of parchment so you can hoist the loaf out like a champion later. Heat the oven to 350°F. Mash your bananas until they look like a not-cute smoothie. Cream softened butter with brown sugar until it’s fluffy-ish (honestly, if your butter’s a little too cold, just keep going—this bread is forgiving). Beat in eggs one at a time, splash in vanilla, then a good glug of dark or spiced rum.

Whisk your dry stuff in a separate bowl—flour, baking soda, a pinch of baking powder, salt, a little cinnamon if you’re feeling cozy. Fold the dry into the wet gently (overmixing is the enemy of tender crumbs). Stir in sour cream to keep it plush, then fold in toffee bits. Scatter a few extra on top if you like a crunchy lid.

Bake until the house smells like a bakery on a beach—about 55–65 minutes, or until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs. If you want to be extra, warm a tablespoon of rum with a teaspoon of brown sugar and brush it over the hot loaf. Let it cool till it’s just warm before slicing… or don’t. I won’t tell.

Ingredient Notes

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– Overripe bananas: The spottier the better—ugly bananas = bigger banana flavor. If they’re frozen, thaw and drain a little liquid.
– Dark or spiced rum: Adds warmth and a caramel note. No rum? Use milk plus 1 tsp vanilla extra, still great.
– Toffee bits: The bagged kind (Heath Bits o’ Brickle) melt into gooey pockets. If using chocolate-covered ones, it’ll be sweeter and softer—still yum.
– Brown sugar: Moisture and molasses flavor. Light or dark both work; dark gives more depth.
– Unsalted butter: Room temp so it creams nicely. In a rush, microwave 10 seconds at a time until pliable, not melted.
– Eggs: Room temp is ideal so the batter doesn’t seize. Cold is fine—beat an extra 10–15 seconds.
– All-purpose flour: Keep it light; scoop-and-level so you don’t pack it. Too much = dense loaf.
– Baking soda + baking powder: Bananas are acidic, soda loves that. A pinch of powder helps the dome.
– Sour cream or Greek yogurt: The secret to plush, tender crumb. Don’t skip.
– Vanilla + cinnamon + salt: The quiet background singers that make the headliners sound amazing.

Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment; grease the sides.
2. Mash 3 large overripe bananas; cream 1/2 cup softened butter with 3/4 cup brown sugar until fluffy.
3. Beat in 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons dark rum.
4. Whisk 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; fold into wet just until streaky.
5. Fold in 1/2 cup sour cream and 3/4–1 cup toffee bits; smooth into pan and sprinkle extra toffee on top.
6. Bake 55–65 minutes until a tester comes out with moist crumbs; optionally brush with warm rum-brown sugar; cool 20–30 minutes before slicing.

What to Serve It With

– Hot coffee with a splash of cream (or rum… I’m not your boss).
– Vanilla yogurt and berries for a pretend “balanced” breakfast.
– A scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of warm caramel for dessert.
– Salted butter on a warm slice. Simple, perfect.

Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t overmix after adding flour. Stir till the flour disappears, then stop.
– Tent with foil at the 40-minute mark if the top is browning fast.
– Measure flour lightly. Heavy scoops = dense loaf.
– Let it cool a bit before slicing or the toffee can pull and tear the crumb.
– If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, roast them (skins on) at 300°F for 15–20 minutes, then cool and use.

Storage Tips

Wrap the cooled loaf snugly in plastic or foil and keep at room temp for up to 3 days. In the fridge, it lasts about a week (it gets denser, which I love for toasting). Freeze slices in a zip bag up to 3 months—toast straight from frozen. Cold slices with coffee? Kind of the best. The toffee firms up in the fridge, then goes gloriously melty again when warmed.

Variations and Substitutions

– No alcohol: Swap the rum for milk plus 1 teaspoon extra vanilla, or 1 teaspoon rum extract.
– Nuts: Fold in 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
– Chocolate fix: Add 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips with the toffee.
– Coconut twist: Stir in 1/2 cup toasted coconut; use coconut rum if you’ve got it.
– Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend and add 1 extra tablespoon sour cream.
– Dairy-free: Use vegan butter and coconut yogurt; still tender.
– Less sweet: Drop toffee to 1/2 cup and use light brown sugar.

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Easy Toffee Banana Rum Bread

A moist, tender banana bread loaded with buttery toffee bits and a splash of dark rum for rich caramel flavor. Finished with a simple rum-toffee glaze for an irresistible bakery-style loaf.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 0.5 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ 0.5 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ▢ 0.75 cups packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 0.25 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1.5 cups ripe bananas, mashed about 3 to 4 bananas
• ▢ 0.5 cups sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ 0.25 cups dark rum
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cups toffee bits
• ▢ 0.5 cups chopped pecans optional
• ▢ 0.75 cups powdered sugar for glaze
• ▢ 1 tbsp dark rum for glaze
• ▢ 1.5 tbsp milk or heavy cream for glaze, as needed
• ▢ 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted for glaze
• ▢ 0.125 tsp fine sea salt for glaze, a pinch

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with a parchment sling for easy removal.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs one at a time, then add mashed bananas, sour cream, dark rum, and vanilla.
• Add dry ingredients to wet and fold gently just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in toffee bits and pecans (if using). Do not overmix.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan once on the counter to release air bubbles.
• Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a rack.
• Glaze: In a small bowl whisk powdered sugar, rum, milk, melted butter, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable. Adjust with more milk or sugar as needed, then drizzle over the cooled loaf.
• Slice into 10 pieces and serve. Store leftovers airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

For a stronger rum flavor, brush the warm loaf with 1 tbsp dark rum before glazing. Swap pecans for walnuts, or omit nuts entirely. If you prefer no alcohol, replace rum in the batter with milk and in the glaze with milk plus 0.25 tsp rum extract.