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Sliced cream cheese cinnamon swirl banana bread on a wooden board

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

A warm banana bread packed with a silky cream cheese ribbon and fragrant cinnamon swirls, perfect for breakfast or a cozy snack.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the banana bread
  • 2 large ripe bananas, mashed Use heavily freckled or almost fully brown bananas for the best flavor.
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted For a richer flavor, use European-style butter.
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs Use room temperature for better mixing.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour Use fresh flour for the best rise.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cream cheese filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened Full-fat is best for texture and flavor.
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth. Whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until glossy.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir until just combined.
  5. Beat the softened cream cheese with granulated sugar, one egg, and vanilla until smooth.
Assembly
  1. Spoon half of the banana batter into the prepared pan and smooth. Add half the cream cheese filling and swirl with a knife. Top with remaining batter and cream cheese.
Baking
  1. Bake for 50–60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
Serving
  1. Lift the loaf out using the parchment paper, cool on a rack, then slice.

Notes

Wrap cooled slices tightly for fridge storage up to 4-5 days or freeze for 3 months. For variations, add nuts or chocolate chips for added flavor.