Soft, aromatic banana bread featuring a rich cream cheese filling and cinnamon sugar swirl, ideal for any sweet moment.
# Components:
→ Banana Bread Base
01 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Cream Cheese Filling
10 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
11 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
12 - 1 large egg
13 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
14 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
# Method steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - Mash bananas in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
03 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into banana mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent dense texture.
05 - Beat softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
06 - Mix 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
07 - Spread half the banana batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture.
08 - Spread cream cheese filling evenly over the first batter layer.
09 - Top with remaining banana batter and smooth surface. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
10 - Bake for 50–60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. A few moist crumbs are acceptable.
11 - Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes. Use parchment overhang to lift out and transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.
