This easy cinnamon swirl banana bread is a soft and moist banana bread with the most delicious cinnamon sugar swirl baked in the middle. It’s the perfect treat for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
This cinnamon swirl banana bread takes soft, moist banana bread to another level of flavor with warm cinnamon sugar swirled throughout.
My banana bread recipe is the base for this banana cinnamon swirl bread. It’s moist, buttery and full of banana sweetness.
For more banana treats, try my Banana Bread Blondies and Banana Donuts.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- You probably already have most of the ingredients.
- It’s a yummy way to use up those overripe bananas!
- This cinnamon streusel banana bread stays moist for days.
- It’s so good for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert!
- Cinnamon goes so well with bananas!
Ingredients
Below are useful notes about the ingredients for this cinnamon sugar banana bread.
- 3 very ripe bananas: Overripe bananas are the most important ingredient for banana bread. They are soft, sweet and perfect for baking! Use 3 very overripe bananas. For another yummy banana treat, try my moist banana and blueberry cake.
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. Brown sugar adds flavor and moisture.
- Sour cream: Sour cream adds extra moisture.
- Butter: Use unsalted, room temperature butter. The amount of salt in butter can vary by brand. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can make sure my bread isn’t too salty.
- 2 large eggs: Use large, room temperature eggs. Eggs help give this banana bread its tender texture.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds warm flavor to this cozy bread. Cinnamon is added to the batter, the cinnamon swirl in the middle, and to the streusel topping.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Since chocolate and bananas go so well together, one of my favorite add ins are chocolate chips!
- If you like nuts in your banana bread, stir in 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Swap in full fat plain yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Add mini or regular chocolate chips.
- If you use salted butter, you don’t need to add additional salt.
Instructions
Below are steps on how to make cinnamon swirl banana bread recipe.
Step 1: (Pictured above) Mix the flour, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and melted butter with a fork. Place in the fridge to harden while you prepare the banana bread.
Step 2: (Pictured above) Step 2: Mash the bananas with 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Set aside.
Step 3: (Pictured above) Whisk to combine the dry ingredients. Set aside. Next, in a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon sugar mixture by mixing the sugars and cinnamon. Set aside.
Step 4: (Pictured above) In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and remaining brown sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Mix in the banana-sugar mixture until well combined. Fold in the dry ingredients.
Step 5: (Pictured above) Pour half the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar. Spread the rest of the batter over top. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the banana bread.
Step 6: (Pictured above) Step 8: Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the bread. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Cinnamon sugar is just ground cinnamon and sugar combined. For the sugar, I used mostly granulated with a little light brown sugar mixed in for added flavor.
Store this banana bread with cinnamon swirl for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash the banana.
- Your mashed bananas don’t need to be completely smooth. Lumps will bake into delicious little bits of bananas.
- If your bananas are not ripe, check out this post on how to ripen bananas quickly for banana bread.
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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
Cinnamon Banana Bread
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 overripe bananas mashed
- 1/4 cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
CINNAMON SUGAR
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
Cinnamon Streusel
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and melted butter with a fork til it clumps together. Place in the fridge to harden while you prepare the banana bread.
Cinnamon Banana Bread
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and grease and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon sugar mixture by mixing the sugars and cinnamon. Break up any brown sugar lumps. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas with 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Set aside.
- In another medium-sized bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar and remaining brown sugar for 2 minutes until well combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract. Mix in the sour cream followed by the banana mixture.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients. Mix just til well combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour or spoon half of the batter into the prepared tin. Smooth it evenly with an offset spatula. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the batter. Spread the remainder of the batter over top.
- Take the streusel out of the fridge. Use a fork to break up the streusel into small and mostly large clumps. Evenly sprinkle the streusel over the banana bread.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with only a few crumbs.
- Set the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan and place it on a rack to cool completely before slicing. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.
Barbara Briggs Ward
Possible the best bread ever. Cinnamon is a plus
Natalie
It is the best thanks 🙂 The cinnamon sugar inside and on top definitely takes it over the top!!