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Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Cream cheese cinnamon swirl banana bread with a rich cream cheese center and a cinnamon-sugar ribbon swirl through golden banana crumb. Baked in a loaf pan for dramatic, clean slices every time.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread batter
  • 3 bananas Use ripe bananas, mashed until mostly smooth.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted and cooled slightly so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Granulated sugar for sweetness in the batter.
  • 2 eggs Large eggs, at room temperature if possible.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract Pure vanilla extract.
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour Measure by spooning and leveling.
  • 1 tsp baking soda Leavening for a tender loaf.
  • 0.5 tsp salt Balances sweetness and brings out flavor.
Cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese Softened to spread easily.
  • 0.25 cup sugar For the creamy filling.
  • 1 egg Large egg for structure.
  • 1 tsp vanilla Vanilla for the filling.
Cinnamon swirl
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar Gives caramel notes in the swirl.
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon Ground cinnamon for the ribbon effect.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Set out the loaf pan and filling ingredients so everything is ready for layering.
Make the cream cheese filling
  1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
Make the banana bread batter
  1. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into mashed bananas.
  2. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
Layer and swirl
  1. Pour half the banana batter into the pan, then spread the cream cheese filling evenly on top.
  2. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture over the cream cheese.
  3. Pour the remaining batter on top, then swirl once or twice with a knife to marble the layers.
Bake
  1. Bake for 65–75 minutes, until deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the outer banana bread comes out clean.

Notes

For the cleanest swirl slices, let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack before slicing. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour and use 1/4 cup less sugar if your bananas are very sweet.