Cinnamon Banana Bread
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This Cinnamon Banana Bread is essentially a mash up of cinnamon rolls and coffee cake but in banana bread form. And that glaze on top? A definite must!
One thing I never mind is having overripe bananas on my kitchen counter. I’m always so excited to whip up a loaf of moist, delicious banana bread. And if I’m craving something extra sweet, I’ll make a batch of these banana bread cookies!
But just as much as I love banana bread, I love a fluffy cinnamon roll so one day I decided to combine the two to make this ultra-moist cinnamon banana bread. And let me tell you… it has endless texture and flavor surprises!
The cinnamon sugar swirl is sweetly nestled in the center of the fluffy bread that is irresistibly gooey and yummy. You’ll love the crunchy, cinnamon-y sweet streusel topping and the glaze is the perfect finishing touch.
And if you love this fun twist on banana bread, make sure to try my cheesecake banana bread or pumpkin banana bread!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavor and crunch: the streusel topping is full of cinnamon flavor and adds a satisfying crunch.
- Perfect any time of day: enjoy with your morning cup of coffee, as a mid-morning snack, or a sweet dessert! Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a real treat!
- Extra moist: the sour cream, buttermilk and oil make it extra moist! It’s a secret trio of ingredients for a tender crumb.
Ingredient Notes
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
- Overripe bananas: you’ll want your bananas ripe enough for the best results, look for the brown spotty bananas. (No green on the peel). Freckled bananas = banana bread time!
- Canola Oil: canola is what I use in this recipe, but you can also use vegetable oil or coconut oil if you’d prefer. The oil add richness and moisture to the banana bread.
- Eggs: the eggs help to bind ingredients as well as helping to make it rise! You’ll need 2 room temperature eggs for this banana bread.
- Sour Cream: I use a combination of sour cream and buttermilk for an incredibly tender crumb. The sour cream will need to be room temperature as well. Greek yogurt can be used if you don’t have sour cream.
- Buttermilk: adds extra moisture to ensure the bread stays soft and tender. You can sub with milk too but buttermilk is always best!
- Other ingredients needed: brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, sugar, powdered sugar.
Step by Step Directions
The full directions are in the recipe card below.
Prepare pan
Mix dry ingredients
Make cinnamon streusel
For the streusel combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the cold or melted butter and mix until the mixture clumps together, I use my fingers but two forks or a pastry cutter works too.
Combine wet ingredients
Mash the bananas in a large bowl and add in the remaining wet ingredients. Beat with a hand mixer to combine.
Mix batter
Add to pan & bake
Drizzle with glaze & enjoy!
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 15-30 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle it over the top of the cooled bread. Garnish with any leftover cinnamon/sugar. Slice and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Properly grease the loaf pan: Brush with a light layer of softened butter and sprinkle an even layer of flour around the pan.
- Bake time: There’s nothing worse than dry banana bread, right? I always bake this bread around 55-58 minutes minutes at 350°F. Be sure to check with a toothpick to ensure it’s done.
- Mashing the bananas: You can mash the bananas either with a fork and leave some chunks of bananas if that’s your thing. ? Or you can use a hand mixer to make almost a banana puree for a smoother consistency.
- Over-mixing the batter: like many quick breads you’ll see recipes say “avoid over mixing the batter.” This is actually important for bananas breads to prevent a dense loaf. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated for a soft, tender crumb.
- Streusel tip: add the streusel ingredients to the food processor and pulse until the clumps form. So easy!
FAQ
Is it better to bake banana bread in a glass or metal pan?
I recommend using a light colored aluminum pan because they enable even, controlled heat resulting in a gentle heat and tender crumb. You can use a glass pan, just note the bake time will take longer. I haven’t tested this recipe in a glass pan to recommend how much longer.
Why does the middle of my banana bread not cook completely?
This is always so frustrating, trust me. I’ve been there! If it happened to you, you’re not alone! It could be for several reasons. Oven temperature isn’t hot enough, you didn’t cook the bread long enough, you may have over-mixed the batter, you may have used too much banana, check your baking soda to make sure it’s not expired.
How do I know when my banana bread is done?
Check the doneness by inserting a tooth pick in the center. It should come out mostly clean, with a few crumbs on it but no wet batter.
Should you cover banana bread when baking?
It’s not necessary. Since this recipe has a streusel, you could loosely cover with foil to prevent any of the streusel from getting to brown or burned but it’s never been an issue in my recipe testing.
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Cinnamon Banana Bread
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 3 medium over ripe bananas, mashed (1 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 Heaping cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes (or you can use melted, sometimes that’s easier)
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch salt
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. (I recommend using a light colored aluminum pan because they enable even, controlled heat resulting in a gentle heat and tender crumb. This bread has not been tested in a glass pan). I like to brush the pan with a little softened butter and sprinkle an even layer of flour around the pan. Set aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small dish for the swirl and set aside.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- For the streusel combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the cold or melted butter and mix until the mixture clumps together, I use my fingers but two forks or a pastry cutter works too.3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark), 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes (or you can use melted, sometimes that’s easier)
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl and add in the remaining wet ingredients. Beat with a hand mixer to combine.3 medium over ripe bananas, mashed (1 1/4 cup), 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 1/4 Heaping cup sour cream, room temperature, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- Fold in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Pour 1/2 of the banana bread mixture into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture in the middle, reserve a little to garnish on the top after it bakes. (You can swirl it in with a knife if you want or just leave it in a layer is what I usually do), and then pour the remaining banana bread batter on top. Top with the streusel.
- Bake for ~55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, a few crumbs are okay but it shouldn't look wet. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, you can tent with foil.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 15-30 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle it over the top of the cooled bread. Garnish with any leftover cinnamon/sugar. Slice and enjoy!1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, pinch salt
Video
Notes
- Storage: Once cooled, wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 4-5 days, or wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Streusel Pro tip: you can make it in a food processor and pulse until the clumps form. So easy!
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Made this in small pans; it was hard to not devour the whole one myself. Love banana and cinnamon-this combo is perfect! I used only small amount of the sugar/cinnamon mixture as I don’t like breads too sweet.
Although this recipe required a lot of steps and ingredients (which is why I made 2), the outcome was fantastic! I didn’t use buttermilk but used the rest as printed. One collapsed a little in the middle, but not too bad. I recommend making this if you have time and you’re not in a rush.
Hey Tawnie!
Can I use the batter for muffins instead? I feel like I’m the worst “bread loaf pan user” and the edges are crispy while the middle is mushy. Thanks!
hii! I havent tested this recipe as muffins yet, but I bet it could work! let me know if you try it out and how it goes 🙂
Oh my decadent! I made this both with regular flour & made it GF for my daughter using the King Arthur 1:1 cup substitution. Both turned out amazing! I took a loaf to work & it was demolished by breakfast. Oh & the bonus, it makes the house smell amazing!
I make this banana bread on repeat once a month at least! It is the BEST. Even my husband loves it and he hates anything with bananas! It’s a winner for our whole family. ?
Amazing!! Now I am craving a slice. Thank you!! 🙂
Love how easy this bread was to make and even easier to eat. Turned out beautiful. Would be a wonderful gift.
Has anyone subbed gluten free flour and how does this affect the recipe? Looks amazing!
I haven’t personally but I bet bobs red mill 1-1 gf flour would work well!
This banana bread is completely different from the bread I usually make. I’m so glad I gave it a try because it was a crowd pleaser. Everyone loved the cinnamon swirl. I didn’t add the glaze because I didn’t want it to be over sweet but wish I would have. Next time.
i real ku thought this was going to be too sweet. So, with that in mind I skipped on the glaze and only used half the streusel. This was good, but was more cinnamon then banana bread. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the bread but regular banana bread is just as good and less sugar without the fuss.
That’s helpful to other readers, thank you for making & reviewing this recipe! 🙂
Oh my gosh!! This bread is moist and fluffy and flavorful perfection! The drizzle on top just makes everything go from “yum” to “WOW”!