Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup of butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns a rich amber color and smells nutty, about 5-8 minutes. Be careful not to burn it! Immediately pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Let it cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (if using).

In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Stir in the slightly cooled browned butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until just combined. Do not overmix.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened. Gently fold in the toasted chopped pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle a few extra chopped pecans over the top, if desired.

Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.

Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.