Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread: My Go-To Recipe (Print Version)

Get my best Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread recipe! This moist, tender loaf with a sweet cinnamon ribbon is pure comfort. Perfect for breakfast or a cozy treat.

# Recipe Info:

Prep Time: 15 Minutes minutes
Cook Time: 55 Minutes minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Difficulty: Beginner
Cuisine: American
Dietary: Vegetarian

# Ingredients:

→ Wet Ingredients & Sweeteners

01 - 3 large ripe bananas (about 1 ½ cups mashed)
02 - ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
03 - ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
04 - 1 large egg, room temperature
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Cinnamon Swirl

09 - ¼ cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

→ Optional Toppings

11 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar (for sprinkling on top)

# Instructions:

01 - First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. I usually line mine with parchment paper too, with a little overhang, because I've had loaves stick before, and that's just heartbreaking. In a large bowl, mash those super ripe bananas with a fork until they're mostly smooth but still have a few small lumps. Lumpy is good, trust me! Then, melt your butter and pour it in, followed by the granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk it all together until it's just combined. You'll see it start to look like a thick, golden batter. This is where the magic starts!
02 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Make sure there are no clumps, especially with the baking soda. I always give it a good whisk to aerate the flour a bit. Now, here's the crucial part: add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until *just* combined. Seriously, don't overmix! A few streaks of flour are totally fine. Overmixing develops the gluten too much, and you'll end up with tough bread, which, to be real, is a sad outcome for banana bread. I learned that the hard way, many times!
03 - In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon for our beautiful swirl. This is where you can really smell that amazing cinnamon, it's so comforting! Pour about half of your banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly. Then, sprinkle about half of your cinnamon-sugar mixture over this layer. Don't worry if it's not perfect; the beauty is in the swirl's imperfection!
04 - Carefully dollop the remaining banana bread batter over the cinnamon-sugar layer. It might feel a little tricky, but just spread it as best you can without disturbing the layer too much. Once that's done, sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top. Now for the fun part: grab a knife or a skewer and gently swirl it through the batter, going from one end to the other, making S-shapes or figure-eights. You're not mixing it in completely, just creating those lovely ribbons. This step always feels so artistic to me!
05 - Pop your loaf pan into the preheated oven. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on it after 45 minutes. If the top starts browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil. I've definitely had a few loaves get a little too toasty on top, so learn from my mistakes!
06 - Once it's done, take the loaf pan out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. This is important because it allows the bread to firm up. Then, use the parchment paper overhang to carefully lift the loaf out of the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Honestly, waiting is the hardest part! But a fully cooled loaf slices much better. When you slice it, you'll see those gorgeous cinnamon swirls – it's just so satisfying to see!

# Notes:

01 - Don't overmix the batter! Seriously, lumpy is good here.
02 - This bread freezes beautifully, slice it first!
03 - Use brown butter for an extra nutty flavor.
04 - A warm slice with a dollop of cream cheese frosting is divine.

# Tools You'll Need:

01 - 9x5-inch loaf pan
02 - large mixing bowls
03 - whisk
04 - fork
05 - knife or skewer

# Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):

Calories: 320
Total Fat: 14g
Total Carbohydrate: 45g
Protein: 4g

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