Description
This Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread is a moist, flavorful quick bread featuring ripe bananas swirled with a cinnamon-sugar mixture and topped with a smooth vanilla icing. Perfect for breakfast or an anytime snack, this recipe combines the comforting flavors of cinnamon and banana with a tender crumb and a sweet glaze to finish.
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
- Preheat and prepare pan: Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set it aside. This setup helps prevent the top of the bread from browning too quickly.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later incorporation.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and wet ingredients: With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Lower the mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined and no flour pockets remain. Take care not to overmix to keep the bread tender. You should have approximately 3 and 1/2 cups of batter.
- Prepare cinnamon swirl: In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for the cinnamon swirl.
- Layer batter and cinnamon swirl: Spoon half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter. Carefully pour the remaining batter on top and spread it out gently using a spoon. Swirl the batter with a knife down the center lengthwise to create the cinnamon swirl pattern, avoiding over-swirling which would blend the layers too much.
- Bake the bread: Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. To prevent excessive browning, loosely cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil halfway through baking. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Start testing for doneness at 55 minutes.
- Cool the bread: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely on the wire rack.
- Make and add vanilla icing: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream (or milk), and vanilla extract until smooth and thick. Drizzle the icing over the cooled bread before slicing.
- Storage: Store the banana bread covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Note that the icing will seep into the bread over time, making the top slices moister.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze the bread without icing for best results. Freeze a baked and cooled loaf for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and ice before serving. Optionally bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools: 9×5-inch loaf pan, whisk, glass mixing bowl, electric mixer (handheld or stand), cooling rack.
- Whole Wheat Flour Substitution: You can use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour without other changes.
- Salted Butter: You can substitute salted butter without modifying the recipe.
- Banana Bread Muffins: This recipe can also make 2 dozen muffins. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F (177°C) and bake for 16-17 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- No Yogurt or Sour Cream? Substitute with 1/3 cup mashed banana, unsweetened applesauce, or canned pumpkin puree.
- Frozen Bananas: Use thawed frozen bananas, drained if needed, for best texture.
- Banana Bundt Cake: For a Bundt cake version, use a scaled-up banana bread recipe designed for bundt pans instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
