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cinnamon swirl banana bread sliced on plate
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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

This cinnamon banana bread recipe is kicked up a notch with a cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle.
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Calories 370kcal
Author Ryan Beck

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 25g