Description
Delight in the perfect balance of flavors with this Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Banana Bread. Moist mashed bananas blend seamlessly with a creamy, tangy cream cheese filling and a cinnamon-sugar swirl for a deliciously indulgent treat that’s perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Banana Bread Batter
- 3 ripe bananas (mashed)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn’t stick and bakes evenly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed bananas, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. This ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing which can make the bread tough.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Filling: In another bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg, and flour until the filling is smooth and creamy.
- Make Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and ground cinnamon thoroughly to create the aromatic cinnamon swirl topping.
- Layer the Batter: Pour half of the banana batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly over the banana layer and gently spread it out.
- Add Cinnamon Swirl: Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the cream cheese layer for that signature swirl flavor.
- Top with Remaining Batter and Swirl: Add the remaining banana batter on top, smoothing it out, then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon swirl evenly. Use a knife to gently swirl the batter layers for a beautiful marbled effect.
- Bake the Bread: Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating it’s fully cooked.
- Cool the Loaf: Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
Notes
- For best flavor and texture, use overripe bananas with dark spots.
- Chilling the bread before slicing helps improve sliceability and enhances flavors.
- For an added crunch, consider folding in 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts into the banana batter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
