Banana Bars With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I love Banana Bread, but I hate to say this, after I found this recipe, I make these bars all of the time now. Good bye banana bread, hello Banana Bars..These are so amazingly moist, with the perfect combination of flavors.  You get loads of banana favor with warm cinnamon flavor, then you get an amazing cream cheese frosting then top it off with the salty crunch from the pecans..Yumm!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp applesauce (or 2 additional Tbsp vegetable oil)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
• 1 recipe Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients (except frosting and pecans) in a large mixing bowl, mix with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into a buttered 9x9 inch baking pan or 13x9**(Follow note below if using 13x9 baking pan)baking dish and spread evenly into pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour (I'd recommend covering with saran wrap after cooling 20 minutes to help retain moisture). Frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkle optional chopped nuts evenly over top. Cut into bars.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix until smooth and fluffy 1-2 minutes. 

Notes

*This is a bar recipe if you want a thicker, more cake like bar then either make 1.5 the recipe in a 13x9 pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

recipe from:http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/01/banana-bars-with-cinnamon-cream-cheese-frosting/