Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Print)

Moist banana bread with a luscious cream cheese filling and a sweet cinnamon swirl. Ideal for any time, offering soft, aromatic slices.

# 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - Mash bananas in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully 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 with granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
06 - Combine 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 over batter. Top with remaining banana batter and smooth surface. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
09 - Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. A few moist crumbs are acceptable.
10 - Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese layer stays silky and melts into the warm bread like a secret filling
  • That cinnamon sugar swirl creates pockets of crunchy sweet surprise in every slice
02 -
  • The cream cheese must be genuinely soft or you will get lumps that never disappear no matter how much you beat it
  • Let the bread cool completely before slicing or that cream cheese layer will ooze everywhere and you will lose the beautiful swirl
03 -
  • If your bananas are not quite ripe enough, bake them at 300°F for 15 minutes to speed up the sweetening process
  • Run a knife around the edges of the pan right after removing from the oven to prevent sticking
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