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This cinnamon swirl banana bread recipe is kicked up a notch with a cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle. After just one bite, you won't go back.
I'm a huge fan of using ripe bananas - from banana baked oatmeal to chocolate chip banana bars to almond flour banana muffins to oat flour banana bread.
Who doesn't love banana bread? I feel like everyone has a go-to recipe. The smell when it is baking is intoxicating. But what if you added a cinnamon sugar swirl?
Now you get the smell of banana bread and cinnamon rolls all in one. My mouth is just watering thinking about it.
This cinnamon swirl banana bread has less sugar than others in the base as you get sugar from the swirl as well. I also believe ripe bananas are sweet enough where you don't have to overload the bread with sugar.
So if you have some ripe bananas sitting on the counter, it is time to make this cinnamon banana bread.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas - the star of the show adds natural sweetness and moistness. You want super ripe bananas.
- Unsalted butter - the base fat for the bread. Can also use vegetable oil.
- Dark brown sugar - where some of the sweetness comes from besides the bananas. Granulated or light brown sugar works as well.
- Flour - I like using whole wheat flour as it has added nutrients.
- Cinnamon - it is called cinnamon banana bread for a reason. It is the prominent flavor of the swirl.
Variations
- Flour - if you are nervous about all whole wheat flour, you could use half whole wheat and half all-purpose. If you are gluten-free, I recommend Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour.
- Mix-ins - if you want some crunch as well, mix in roasted walnuts or pecans.
- Vegan - you can make chia eggs. Just mix 2 tablespoon of chia seeds with 5 tablespoon water and let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the chocolate chip banana bread. You can also use same amount of flaxseeds.
Step-by-Step Photos
Stir together the wet ingredients in a large bowl before adding the dry ingredients.
Make the cinnamon swirl by mixing together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Spready about ⅓ of the batter in the bottom of a loaf pan and then dollop about ⅓ of the swirl. Use a knife to mix it throughout.
Repeat the process 2 more times and then bake for 50-60 minutes 350°F until the bread is done.
FAQs
There is no such thing as a too ripe banana. The perfect banana is black, but you can also use bananas streaked with black/brown. The blacker the better however.
If you want to speed up the ripening process, place the bananas in a paper bag and fold down on the top. Add an apple which increase the ethylene gas and quickens the ripening process.
The best way is inserting a toothpick and if it comes out clean with just a few crumbs it is done.
It actually works great for muffins as well. Preheat the oven to 350°F, fill the muffin tins until about ⅔ of the way full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You could also try these vegan banana chocolate chip muffins.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If the cinnamon sugar swirl is too thick, add another tablespoon unsalted butter. You don't want it too thin however as you will lose the swirl.
- If using nuts, don't skip out on roasting them. By roasting the nuts, they will stay crispy in the batter and bring out the flavor.
- For a swirl throughout, use a knife to mix the cinnamon sugar through the dough. It doesn't have to be perfect.
- If you want to freeze the banana bread, wrap the loaf in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then place in a freezer-friendly storage bag. Freeze up to 3 months and then thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Other Bread Recipes
If you’ve tried this cinnamon swirl banana bread recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted (12 tbsp)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 6 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, butter, eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour, dark brown sugar, baking soda and salt and stir until just combined.
- To make the swirl, mix together the unsalted butter, dark brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until thick and combined.
- Spread ⅓ of the batter evenly into the bottom of the pan. Dollop about ⅓ of the swirl mixture over the batter and use a knife to make a swirl through it. Repeat the process 2 more times. Make large swirls throughout the loaf.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering with aluminum foil halfway through if bread is browning too quickly. At 50 minutes, start checking to see if bread is done every 5 minutes by inserting a toothpick or cake tester in the center where it comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing and placing on wire rack.
Notes
- If the cinnamon sugar swirl is too thick, add another tablespoon unsalted butter. You don't want it too thin however as you will lose the swirl.
- If using nuts, don't skip out on roasting them. By roasting the nuts, they will stay crispy in the batter and bring out the flavor.
- For a swirl throughout, use a knife to mix the cinnamon sugar through the dough. It doesn't have to be perfect.
- If you want to freeze the banana bread, wrap the loaf in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then place in a freezer-friendly storage bag. Freeze up to 3 months and then thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
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