Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread (Printable)

Moist banana bread with cream cheese filling and cinnamon swirl. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.

# 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 Make It:

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 cinnamon.
07 - Pour half of banana bread batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth 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 center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs remaining.
10 - Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The cream cheese ribbon stays creamy and tangy, cutting through the sweetness in the best way.
  • It looks impressive when you slice it, like you spent hours planning the swirl.
  • One loaf disappears fast, whether you serve it for breakfast or pretend it is dessert.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese is not fully softened, it will clump and refuse to spread smoothly no matter how much you beat it.
  • Do not skip lining the pan with parchment, or you will lose half the loaf trying to pry it out.
  • The cinnamon sugar on top can burn if your oven runs hot, so check it around the 45 minute mark.
03 -
  • Use a toothpick to swirl the cream cheese gently into the top layer of batter for a marbled effect that looks bakery perfect.
  • If you want a thicker cream cheese ribbon, double the filling and bake an extra 5 to 10 minutes to account for the added moisture.
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