Cinnamon swirl banana bread is a combination of cinnamon roll filling and streusel topping for the most incredible banana experience. Adding the simple glaze on top just makes things sweeter (and prettier).
Try this recipe today and see why I can't stop raving about it!
I love this cinnamon swirl banana bread with streusel topping so much that I finished half of the loaf on the first day. Of course, I do enjoy banana bread, and cinnamon is my favorite spice flavor so there's that.
If you enjoy cinnamon like I do, there's no doubt you'll enjoy this simple banana bread with cinnamon swirl recipe too. It's a great twist on the traditional banana bread recipes out there and a fun way to use up those ripe bananas.
For more banana bread recipes, be sure to check out my Stovetop Banana Bread, Chocolate Orange Banana Bread, Carrot Cake Banana Bread, and Pistachio Banana Bread.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simplicity at its finest. Made with just a few simple ingredients and without dirtying every dish in the house, this cinnamon banana bread is a wonderful combination of flavors in every slice and without too much effort either.
- Quick prep. It's so fast to throw together that the batter can be ready to bake in just a few short minutes.
- It's always popular. Banana bread doesn't need a time of the year to make an entrance at your house and this cinnamon swirl banana bread is a great way to bring it into the house more often.
🥘 Ingredients
For the Banana Bread Batter, you will need:
Ripe bananas- You will need some ripe spotted bananas to make this banana bread well flavored and sweeter.
Vegetable oil- Adding in vegetable oil will give the bread the necessary fats needed to stay moist.
Baking soda- Use baking soda as a leaving agent to help the bread puff up nicely as it bakes.
Salt- This is a natural flavor enhancer and will make the bread taste delicious!
Vanilla extract- You will need some vanilla extract to help with the flavor enhancement.
Egg- Use an egg to help bind the bread together so it doesn't turn out too crumbly.
Sugar- You will need granulated sugar to make this bread nice and sweet.
All-purpose flour- This is the structural base of the recipe.
For the Cinnamon Swirl, you will need:
Cinnamon- This will give us a nice warm spiced swirl throughout the bread (kind of like a cinnamon roll).
Butter- To make the filling even richer in taste.
Sugars- Use a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar for added sweetness and depth of flavor.
For the Streusel Topping, you will need:
Flour- This will help to keep the streusel together so that it doesn't dissolve when baked.
Butter- To bring the ingredients together into a crumbly consistency.
Brown sugar- You'll want to add brown sure to the topping so that it can get a nice caramelization as it bakes and make the topping a little crunchy too.
Cinnamon- Adding cinnamon to the topping will help to give us an even stronger spice flavor.
For the Glaze, you will need:
Powdered sugar- For a sweet and smooth consistency, you'll want to use powdered sugar.
Vanilla- This is a flavor enhancer.
Milk- Use milk (or water) to get the icing to the perfect drizzling consistency.
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make cinnamon swirl banana bread with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a bread pan, set it aside.
In a small bowl, add the streusel topping ingredients.
Mix until it forms small crumbs, and then set it aside.
Add your peeled ripe bananas to a large mixing bowl
Mash them together until no large chunks remain.
Add in the vegetable oil, baking soda, and salt.
Stir together to mix.
Add in the sugars, vanilla, and egg.
Whisk together until smooth.
Add in the flour.
Stir together just until no white flour streaks remain. Do not overmix. Set aside.
Add the cinnamon filling ingredients to another small bowl.
Mix together until smooth.
Pour ⅓ of the bread batter into the bread loaf pan.
Dollop with spoonfuls of cinnamon filling.
Top with another ⅓ of the batter.
Add more dollops of cinnamon sugar on top.
Pour the remaining batter on top.
Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the bread batter. Press down gently to adhere.
Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
In a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients.
Whisk together until smooth.
Drizzle over the top of your cooled banana bread.
Let the glaze set for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Enjoy!
🍴 Recipe Tips
Remember to remove the bread from the pan as soon as possible (10-15 minutes after baking). If you leave the loaf to cool in the pan completely, it can cause the cinnamon sugar mixture to adhere to the pan making it nearly impossible to remove.
Making this cinnamon banana bread is really easy but getting nice swirls can be a tad more difficult than expected. Over swirl and the design disappears, under swirl, and you'll have thick cinnamon filling spots to bite through.
There's nothing wrong with either, but keep it in mind as you swirl around. I like to use a butter knife because it's thick on one side and thin on the other so I can twirl it slightly and create a variety of techniques in my swirls.
You could also use a toothpick for smaller swirls for the back end of a wooden spoon.
💭 FAQs
Cinnamon swirl banana muffins can be made by dividing the batter and technique amongst muffin tins. Fill ⅓ of the way, add a dollop of cinnamon filling, top with a little more batter and swirl with a toothpick. Top with streusel, bake and then glaze. Bake muffins for about 15-20 minutes at 350F. Muffins should be filled ⅔s full before baking and be tested with a toothpick when finished.
Yes, after the bread has cooled completely wrap it well in plastic wrap and then store it in an airtight container. It can remain frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw before eating. For best results do not add the glaze until ready to serve so that it doesn't melt as it thaws.
More great banana recipes to try
- Fruity Pebbles Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Banana Mug Cake
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Mashed bananas (about 2-3 ripe) ($0.25)
- ⅓ cup Vegetable oil ($0.16)
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt ($0.02)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract ($0.02)
- 1 large Egg ($0.08)
- ½ cup Granulated sugar ($0.11)
- 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour ($0.12)
Cinnamon Swirl
- 2 Tablespoons Ground cinnamon ($0.30)
- 3 Tablespoons Melted butter ($0.16)
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated sugar ($0.02)
- 3 Tablespoons Brown sugar ($0.06)
Streusel Topping
- 4 Tablespoons All purpose flour ($0.01)
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, softened ($0.12)
- ¼ cup Brown sugar ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon ($0.05)
Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered sugar ($0.23)
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract ($0.01)
- 1-2 Tablespoons Milk ($0.01)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a bread pan, set it aside.
- In a small bowl, add the streusel topping ingredients.
- Mix until it forms small crumbs, and then set it aside.
- Add your peeled ripe bananas to a large mixing bowl
- Mash them together until no large chunks remain.
- Add in the vegetable oil, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir together to mix.
- Add in the sugars, vanilla, and egg.
- Whisk together until smooth.
- Add in the flour.
- Stir together just until no white flour streaks remain. Do not overmix. Set aside.
- Add the cinnamon filling ingredients to another small bowl.
- Mix together until smooth.
- Pour ⅓ of the bread batter into the bread loaf pan.
- Dollop with spoonfuls of cinnamon filling.
- Top with another ⅓ of the batter.
- Add more dollops of cinnamon sugar on top.
- Pour the remaining batter on top.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the bread batter. Press down gently to adhere.
- Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- In a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients.
- Whisk together until smooth.
- Drizzle over the top of your cooled banana bread.
- Let the glaze set for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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