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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Cinnamon swirl banana bread with a marbled cinnamon-brown sugar ribbon baked into a golden, tender loaf. The swirl spirals from top to bottom so each slice shows the cinnamon ribbon clearly.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread base
  • 3 ripe bananas Mash until smooth.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted.
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Cinnamon swirl
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp butter Melted; use for the swirl.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until smooth.
  3. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
  4. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter for the cinnamon swirl in a small bowl.
  5. Pour half the banana batter into the loaf pan, then drizzle all the cinnamon mixture over it.
  6. Pour in the remaining batter and swirl through with a knife or skewer.
  7. Bake for 60–70 minutes, until deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing, so the cinnamon ribbon sets.

Notes

For clean slices, let the loaf cool fully after the initial 15 minutes; slice while still warm only if you lightly lift with a spatula. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze wrapped slices for up to 2 months. For a dairy-light option, use plant-based butter in both the batter and swirl.