Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread (Printable Version)

Moist banana bread swirled with creamy cheese filling and cinnamon sugar layers

# What You’ll 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

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large 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.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into banana mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Beat softened cream cheese with granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract 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. 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 remaining cinnamon sugar on top.
09 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs remaining.
10 - Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes, then lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The cream cheese layer adds richness without making it heavy, and every slice feels like a little surprise.
  • It uses up those overripe bananas sitting on your counter and transforms them into something worth sharing.
  • You get the comfort of banana bread with just enough cinnamon sweetness to make it feel special.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese isn't fully softened, you'll get lumps that won't blend no matter how much you beat it.
  • Don't skip the parchment overhang, it's the only way to get a clean lift without the loaf falling apart.
  • Check the loaf at 50 minutes, every oven runs differently and overbaking will dry it out.
03 -
  • Use a butter knife to gently swirl the cream cheese into the top layer of batter for a marbled effect that looks bakery perfect.
  • Let your bananas get almost black on the counter, that's when they're at their sweetest and most flavorful.
  • Line your pan so the parchment comes up the sides, it makes cleanup effortless and prevents sticking every single time.
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