Description
This Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread is a moist and flavorful twist on classic banana bread, featuring a sweet cinnamon and brown sugar swirl throughout. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, it combines ripe bananas, rich butter, and a fragrant cinnamon mixture for a delightful treat everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 3–4 bananas)
- ½ cup sour cream
Cinnamon Swirl
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper to ensure the bread doesn’t stick.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later to incorporate evenly into the batter.
- Combine Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, mix melted unsalted butter with granulated sugar until well blended, creating a smooth base for the batter.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Then stir in the vanilla extract to infuse rich flavor.
- Incorporate Bananas and Sour Cream: Fold in the mashed ripe bananas and sour cream gently until the mixture is uniform, adding moisture and tang to the bread.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir carefully until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the bread.
- Prepare Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and ground cinnamon thoroughly to make the sweet swirl topping.
- Layer Batter and Swirl: Pour half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the batter.
- Finish Layering: Spoon the remaining batter on top of the cinnamon layer, then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top. Use a knife to gently swirl the cinnamon mixture through the batter, creating beautiful swirls.
- Bake: Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean.
- Cool Bread: Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- For extra moisture, you can substitute the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
- Make sure bananas are very ripe for maximum sweetness and flavor.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added to keep the bread tender and light.
- Store leftover banana bread wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- This recipe can be doubled and baked in two loaf pans, adjusting baking time slightly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
Keywords: banana bread, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon banana bread, homemade banana bread, easy banana bread recipe, moist banana bread
