Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread (Printable)

Moist banana bread with creamy cheesecake layer and cinnamon sugar swirl—soft, aromatic, and irresistibly delicious for any time of day.

# 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, allowing excess to 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 incorporated.
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. 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 ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
07 - Pour half of banana batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top surface. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon sugar mixture.
08 - Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over banana batter layer. Top with remaining banana batter and smooth the surface. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar on top.
09 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
10 - Allow loaf to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The cream cheese layer turns ordinary banana bread into something you serve on a plate with a fork, not wrapped in a napkin.
  • It stays moist for days in the fridge, which means you can sneak a slice cold at midnight and feel like youre getting away with something.
  • The cinnamon sugar swirl on top bakes into a crunchy, sweet crust that contrasts beautifully with the soft interior.
  • You can tell people its breakfast bread or dessert and both answers are correct.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese isnt fully softened, youll get lumps in the filling that wont smooth out no matter how long you beat it.
  • Dont overbake this, the cream cheese layer can crack and dry out if you leave it in too long, check it at 50 minutes.
  • Use a light hand when folding in the flour, I once overmixed a batch and it came out dense and chewy instead of tender.
03 -
  • Let your eggs and cream cheese sit out for 30 minutes before you start, room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly and create a better texture.
  • If the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil halfway through baking.
  • Use overripe bananas that have been sitting on your counter for days, theyre sweeter and more fragrant than bananas that are just turning brown.
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