Description
This Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread is a moist and flavorful quick bread featuring ripe bananas combined with a warm cinnamon sugar swirl. The loaf is topped with a smooth vanilla icing for a delightful finish. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, this recipe yields a tender crumb with just the right hint of spices and sweetness.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Banana Bread
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar (or packed brown sugar)
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
- 1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Vanilla Icing
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. This ensures even distribution of leavening and spices throughout the bread.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Then, on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Lower mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Beat only until no flour pockets remain to avoid over-mixing, which can make the bread tough. The batter should measure about 3 and 1/2 cups.
- Create the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl: Mix together the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl. Spoon half the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top and carefully spread. Use a knife to gently swirl the batter down the center of the loaf pan, being careful not to overmix the layers.
- Bake the Bread: Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 55–65 minutes. Halfway through baking, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the Bread: Remove the loaf from the oven. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack before icing.
- Prepare the Vanilla Icing: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream (or milk), and vanilla extract until smooth and thick. Drizzle gently over the cooled bread before slicing to add a sweet finishing touch.
- Storage: Store the banana bread covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Note that the icing may seep into the bread slices over time, making them slightly moist on top.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze the bread without icing for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then ice before serving. For more on freezing quick breads, refer to make-ahead baking tips.
- Special Tools: 9×5-inch loaf pan, whisk, glass mixing bowl, electric mixer (handheld or stand), cooling rack.
- Whole Wheat Flour Substitution: You can replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour without other changes.
- Butter Variation: Salted butter can be used as a substitute with no other adjustments.
- Banana Muffin Variation: To make cinnamon swirl banana bread muffins, pour the batter into muffin pans, bake at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 16-17 minutes.
- Sour Cream/Yogurt Alternatives: Substitute the yogurt with an additional 1/3 cup mashed banana, unsweetened applesauce, or canned pumpkin puree.
- Frozen Bananas: Thaw and drain frozen bananas before mashing for this recipe to avoid excess liquid.
- Banana Bundt Cake: This recipe does not have enough batter for a Bundt cake; use a scaled-up chocolate marble banana Bundt cake recipe instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 1/12 of the loaf)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
