Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread (Printable Version)

Moist banana bread swirled with creamy cheese filling and cinnamon sugar layers for a decadent breakfast or treat.

# What You Need:

→ 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, allowing excess paper to overhang sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Stir in melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly distributed.
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 using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
06 - In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
07 - Pour half of banana bread batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top surface. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon sugar mixture.
08 - Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cinnamon sugar layer. Top with remaining banana bread batter, smooth surface, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
09 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean with only a few moist crumbs.
10 - Allow loaf to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cream cheese layer adds a tangy richness that keeps each slice interesting from top to bottom.
  • It looks impressive when you slice into it, but the process is surprisingly forgiving.
  • One loaf works as breakfast, snack, and dessert without anyone complaining.
  • The cinnamon sugar swirl gives you those crispy sweet edges everyone fights over.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese isn't fully softened, you'll get lumps that won't blend in, so leave it out for at least 30 minutes.
  • Don't skip the parchment overhang, getting a fully baked loaf out of the pan without it is nearly impossible without breaking it.
  • The toothpick test can be tricky with the cream cheese layer, aim for the banana bread part when you check for doneness.
03 -
  • Let your eggs and cream cheese sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before you start, it makes mixing so much easier.
  • Use a knife to gently swirl the cream cheese into the top layer of batter for a marbled effect that looks bakery perfect.
  • If the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil halfway through baking.
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