Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread (Printable Version)

Moist banana bread with creamy cheese filling and aromatic cinnamon sugar layers. Soft, sweet, and irresistibly delicious.

# Ingredient List:

→ Banana Bread

01 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 3/4 cup brown sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Cream Cheese Filling

10 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
11 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
12 - 1 large egg
13 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Sugar Swirl

14 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over edges for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Incorporate melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, stirring until fully combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into banana mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - Beat softened cream cheese with granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
06 - Combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
07 - Pour half the banana bread batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top surface. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture.
08 - Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over batter. Top with remaining banana bread batter, smooth surface, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
09 - Bake 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center emerges clean with only a few moist crumbs.
10 - Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes. Lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cream cheese layer adds a cheesecake-like richness that turns simple banana bread into something bakery-worthy.
  • It uses up those sad brown bananas sitting on your counter and transforms them into something people actually get excited about.
  • The cinnamon sugar swirl gives you crispy, caramelized edges that contrast beautifully with the soft, moist crumb.
  • It stays incredibly tender for days, so you can bake it once and enjoy it all week long.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese is cold, it will not blend smoothly and you will end up with lumps in your filling—trust me, I learned this the hard way.
  • Do not overbake or the edges will dry out, even though the center stays moist—start checking at 50 minutes with a toothpick.
  • Letting the bread cool completely before slicing is not optional—warm slices will smush and tear no matter how sharp your knife is.
03 -
  • If your bananas are not ripe enough, roast them in their peels at 300°F for 15 minutes to bring out their sweetness.
  • For an extra swirl effect, use a butter knife to gently marble the cream cheese layer into the batter before the final topping.
  • Brush the top with a little melted butter right after baking for a glossy, bakery-style finish.
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