This Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread recipe is a sweet and exciting twist on the classic baked good! With a homemade icing, this cinnamon banana bread is great for a special breakfast treat or even dessert.
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If you’re a fan of banana bread, this variation with swirls of warm and comforting cinnamon is a must-try! Great for fall baking but delicious year round.
Why This Recipe Works
Got a couple of bananas that you’re not sure what to do with? Throw together a quick and easy cinnamon swirl banana bread!
This recipe completely upgrades a familiar classic with swirls of decadent cinnamon flavor and a sweet and simple homemade icing.
The end result is a moist and tender loaf cake that can be served as a sweet morning treat like these Mini Cinnamon Rolls or a tasty dessert.
And if you love baking with bananas, try this Banana Crumb Coffee Cake, a Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting, or a Double Chocolate Banana Cake for all the chocolate lovers!
Ingredients Needed
- Flour: All Purpose flour
- Baking Soda: Gives the cinnamon banana bread a soft and tender texture and prevents it from getting too dense.
- Ground Cinnamon: You’ll need cinnamon for both the banana bread batter and the cinnamon swirl.
- Light Brown Sugar: You can also use dark brown sugar if you want a richer flavor.
- Salt: Helps balance the sweet flavors.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salty flavor so it’s not overpowering.
- Eggs: Large eggs and room temperature recommended.
- Vanilla Extract: I recommend the real stuff.
- Bananas: You’ll want to use overripe bananas for best results.
- Sour Cream: Greek Yogurt can also be used.
How to Make this Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Step 2: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar, then add eggs and vanilla.
- Step 3: Mix in mashed bananas and sour cream.
- Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a batter forms.
- Step 5: Pour half the batter into a prepared 9×5 loaf pan.
- Step 6: In a separate medium bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon, then add a full layer of the sugar mixture over the batter.
- Step 7: Finish with the remaining batter and bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
- Step 8: Meanwhile, mix together powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl to create icing. Drizzle over the banana bread once it’s cooled.
Recipe Tips
- In addition to the cinnamon swirl, this bread is great if you add some finely chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Feel free to leave off the icing if you prefer–this banana bread has plenty of sweetness on its own.
- You can use frozen bananas if you’ve been saving them in the freezer. Let them thaw and drain off any excess liquid before mashing and adding to the batter.
- Keep leftover banana bread wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or in an airtight container. It should last for 3 days or so at room temperature, and can also be frozen. Thaw overnight before serving from the freezer.
- Allow the banana bread to cool before adding the icing or it will just melt down the sides.
- Add extra flavor to the icing by using vanilla extract or another extract of your choice, like almond extract or hazelnut extract.
