Description

This Cinnamon Swirled Banana Bread is a moist and flavorful treat featuring ripe bananas combined with a rich cinnamon sugar swirl layered throughout the loaf. Perfectly spiced and beautifully marbled, this bread is ideal for breakfast, snack time, or dessert, delivering warm cinnamon notes paired with natural banana sweetness in every bite.

Ingredients

Scale

Batter:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 4 bananas)

Cinnamon Sugar Swirl:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
6 thin slices of ripe banana, for garnishing

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Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn’t stick, then set it aside.
Mix Batter: In a large bowl, melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Whisk in the granulated sugar until combined, then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the all-purpose flour and baking soda until just mixed, and gently fold in the mashed ripe bananas, taking care not to overmix.
Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Swirl: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, and ground cinnamon using a fork until thick and fully blended. If the mixture is too thick to swirl easily, add an extra tablespoon of melted butter to loosen it slightly without making it too runny.
Layer Batter and Swirl: Spread 1/4 of the batter (approximately 1 cup) evenly into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Dollop 1/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture (about 1 tablespoon) over the batter and swirl it through with a table knife or the bottom of a wooden spoon.
Add Second Layer: Spoon 1/3 of the remaining batter (around 1 cup) evenly over the first layer and swirl with 1/3 of the remaining cinnamon sugar (about 1 tablespoon) in the same way.
Add Third Layer: Spread half of the remaining batter (about 1 cup) evenly on top of the previous layer and swirl with half of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture (approximately 1 tablespoon).
Finish Layering and Garnish: Spread the remaining batter evenly across the top of the loaf, then dollop the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture and create large swirls throughout the batter for a beautiful marbled effect. Arrange six thin slices of banana down the center of the loaf as garnish.
Bake: Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly before the center cooks through, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking until done.
Cool: Let the banana bread cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps it set and makes it easier to slice.

Notes

Use very ripe bananas for the best natural sweetness and flavor.
Do not overmix the batter to avoid a dense bread texture.
If you prefer a stronger cinnamon flavor, you can increase the cinnamon in the swirl to 3 tablespoons.
Ensure the swirl mixture is thick enough to hold shape; too thin and it will spread rather than swirl beautifully.
Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to ensure clean slices and better texture.
Store leftovers wrapped tightly at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (about 1/10th of loaf)
Calories: 320 kcal
Sugar: 18 g
Sodium: 150 mg
Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg