Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread – Sally’s Baking Habit

Each slice of this cinnamon swirl banana bread includes a moist crumb, a lot of banana taste, and a thick ribbon of cinnamon sugar swirled by means of the middle. High with a easy vanilla icing to show this fast bread into a pleasant dessert-like deal with.

overhead photo of banana bread with icing drizzled on top.

I really like a very good cinnamon sugar swirl. (I imply, have you ever tried this do-it-yourself cinnamon swirl bread?? Put it in your Baking Bucket Record!) Whereas I additionally love a very good crumb streusel topping, there’s simply one thing further particular about slicing right into a espresso cake or a chai cinnamon swirl Bundt cake and discovering a surprise-inside layer of cinnamon-sugar.

Banana bread isn’t any exception.

Reader Erin commented: “I usually make your ‘Finest Ever Banana Bread‘ recipe, however determined to strive one thing new yesterday—my household thanks you, Sally!!!! The loaf is gone. 2 teenage boys and my husband standing on the counter devouring this bread is sort of the testomony to how a lot taste is on this bread. All of them liked the cinnamon swirl within the center—plus I sprinkled extra on the highest throughout baking. Everybody’s ready for the bunch of bananas on our counter to ripen for the subsequent loaf!!!! ★★★★★”

What You’ll Love About This Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

  • A scrumptious mash-up of my super-popular banana bread and cinnamon swirl fast bread recipes
  • Fast and straightforward to make
  • Candy flavors of banana, vanilla, and cinnamon sugar
  • Cake-like texture stays moist for days
  • Wonderful use for over-ripe bananas; or you’ll be able to thaw frozen bananas
  • Further scrumptious with creamy vanilla icing
  • A fantastic deal with any time of day
  • Freezes nicely, so make forward and inventory your freezer for banana bread emergencies!
cinnamon swirl banana bread slices on wooden loaf cutting board.

In the present day’s recipe was initially revealed in 2012, and the predecessor of my authentic banana bread recipe. Due to the added richness and sweetness within the glaze and cinnamon-sugar ribbon, I don’t use fairly as a lot sugar and butter within the bread itself. I often obtain lots of questions on substitutions, so let me overview a few of the key components you want and why.

Key Elements You Want & Why

  • Flour: I sometimes use all-purpose flour on this recipe, however I’ve made it with complete wheat flour occasionally… and it’s nonetheless unimaginable. So should you’d like to incorporate some complete grain in your bread, go forward and use complete wheat flour with no different modifications within the recipe wanted. (Like a richer, sweeter model of my wholesome complete wheat banana bread!)
  • Floor Cinnamon: We’re utilizing cinnamon within the banana bread batter in addition to the cinnamon swirl.
  • Sugar: You want common white granulated sugar for the cinnamon swirl, so you’ll be able to go forward and use that within the bread as nicely. For those who’d like, be happy to make use of brown sugar within the bread batter as an alternative.
  • Butter: You want 4 Tablespoons (1/2 a stick, or 57g) of butter for this loaf. The bread bakes up moist and tender from the Greek yogurt, bananas, and cinnamon swirl, so there actually isn’t any want for extra butter.
  • Ripe Bananas: You want about 3 massive bananas or 4 medium bananas—and the riper, the higher. You need to use thawed frozen bananas, too. See The best way to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
  • Plain Yogurt: Common or Greek, any fats share. For those who don’t have yogurt, you’ll be able to substitute bitter cream.
flour, butter, Greek yogurt, vanilla, baking soda, bananas, eggs, and other ingredients on wooden backdrop.

The batter comes collectively simply. I often use my electrical mixer to mash bananas, however a fork or potato masher work too. Since this batter requires creamed butter and sugar, I often mash up the bananas first, take away them from the bowl, then add the butter and sugar to cream. (I don’t even clear out the bowl—no want.)

Count on a thick batter:

yellow bread batter in glass mixing bowl with red rubber spatula.

Create a Lovely Cinnamon Swirl in Your Banana Bread

You want 2 components for the cinnamon swirl, and each are used within the banana bread batter: granulated sugar and cinnamon. I don’t use fairly as a lot cinnamon swirl as my cinnamon swirl fast bread, and that’s largely as a result of there’s lots of taste within the banana bread itself. (The common cinnamon swirl bread doesn’t have that different taste, you understand?)

To assemble the swirl, layer half of the banana batter right into a greased loaf pan. There’s about 3 and 1/2 cups of batter. It doesn’t should be excellent, so simply eyeball the quantity. High with all the cinnamon sugar. Gently unfold the remaining batter on high. Utilizing a knife, make a big swirl down the middle of the pan. Keep away from over-swirling as a result of then you definitely’ll wind up with cinnamon banana bread, minus a swirl.

This is similar approach we swirl apple cinnamon bread. It’s very easy, so no must over-complicate it!

spoon sprinkling cinnamon sugar over batter in loaf pan and batter shown again swirled with a knife.

After baking, cool the bread utterly utilizing the detailed recipe directions beneath. After the bread cools, drizzle all the loaf with vanilla icing.

You could be asking, “Is vanilla icing actually needed right here?” And the reply is sure, vanilla icing is at all times needed. 😉


Vanilla Icing

The vanilla icing beneath is my common vanilla icing recipe, solely halved. You don’t want a lot. Seize some confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream or milk, and a bit vanilla extract, and whisk all of it collectively. Drizzle over the bread earlier than serving.

close-up photo of slices of cinnamon swirl banana bread with icing on top.

Slice and simply wait till the iced banana bread reveals its inside magnificence: the beautiful cinnamon ribbon hiding inside. LOVE!

banana bread slice with cinnamon swirl and vanilla icing on top sitting on wire rack on cutting board.

Print

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banana bread slice with cinnamon swirl and vanilla icing on top sitting on wire rack on cutting board.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread


  • Creator:
    Sally

  • Prep Time:
    quarter-hour

  • Prepare dinner Time:
    55 minutes

  • Complete Time:
    3 hours

  • Yield:
    1 loaf

  • Class:
    Bread

  • Methodology:
    Baking

  • Delicacies:
    American


Description

Take pleasure in tremendous moist and flavorful banana bread swirled with a thick layer of cinnamon-sugar and topped with a dreamy drizzle of vanilla icing. This is sort of a dessert model of traditional banana bread.


Banana Bread

Cinnamon Swirl

Vanilla Icing


Directions

  1. Modify the oven rack to the decrease third place and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Decreasing the oven rack prevents the highest of your bread from browning an excessive amount of, too quickly. Grease a metallic 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Put aside.
  2. Make the banana bread batter: Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt collectively in a medium bowl. Put aside.
  3. Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar collectively on excessive pace till clean and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer operating on medium pace, add the eggs one by one, beating nicely after every addition. Then beat within the mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract till mixed. With the mixer operating on low pace, slowly beat the dry components into the moist components till no flour pockets stay. Don’t over-mix. You’ll have round 3 and 1/2 cups of batter.
  4. Cinnamon Sugar Swirl: Combine the sugar and cinnamon collectively. Spoon half of the banana bread batter into ready loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar combination. Pour and unfold remaining batter on high. The highest layer of batter will need to follow the cinnamon-sugar filling, making spreading a bit more durable to do, however use a spoon to rigorously unfold it out as greatest you’ll be able to. Utilizing a knife, swirl the batter down the middle of the loaf pan. Keep away from over-swirling, which can combine the layers collectively an excessive amount of.
  5. Bake for 55–65 minutes, ensuring to loosely cowl the bread with aluminum foil midway by means of to forestall the highest from getting too brown. The bread is completed when a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear with only some small moist crumbs. All ovens range, so start checking each 5 minutes across the 55-minute mark.
  6. Take away bread from the oven and permit the bread to chill within the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. Take away bread from the pan and funky bread instantly on the wire rack till cooled utterly.
  7. Whisk the icing components collectively. (I often use heavy cream, which guarantees a thick icing.) Drizzle over bread earlier than slicing.
  8. Cowl and retailer banana bread at room temperature for two days or within the fridge for as much as 1 week. Icing seeps into the highest of the banana bread over time, so anticipate the tops of the slices to grow to be a bit further moist.


Notes

  1. Freezing Directions: It’s greatest to freeze this bread with out the icing, and ice the bread after thawing and earlier than serving. Freeze baked & cooled loaf for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge. If desired, carry to room temperature earlier than serving. To study extra particulars about how you can freeze fast breads, see my publish known as Make-Forward Baking.
  2. Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Whisk | Electrical Mixer (Stand Mixer or Handheld) | Loaf Pan | Cooling Rack
  3. Can I Use Entire Wheat Flour? Sure, you’ll be able to substitute the all-purpose flour with complete wheat flour with no different modifications wanted.
  4. Butter: If wanted, you should use salted butter on this recipe with no different modifications wanted.
  5. Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread Muffins: Use this banana bread recipe to make 2 dozen cinnamon swirl banana bread muffins. Pour the batter into lined or greased muffin pans and bake for five minutes at 425°F (218°C); then, protecting the muffins within the oven, scale back the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for a further 16–17 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear. The entire bake time for the banana bread muffins is about 22–23 minutes. The preliminary burst of scorching air helps these muffins rise good and tall! Or strive my banana chocolate chip streusel muffins. (Be happy to go away out the chocolate chips in that recipe.)
  6. No Bitter Cream or Yogurt? Be happy to make use of 1/3 cup mashed banana (along with the 1 and 1/2 cups), unsweetened applesauce, and even canned pumpkin puree.
  7. Frozen Bananas: You need to use frozen bananas right here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any extra liquid, mash, then use as instructed within the recipe. See The best way to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Strive to not mash an excessive amount of or else you’ll be left with 2 cups of banana-y liquid; some chunks are nice.
  8. Can I Flip This Into Banana Bundt Cake? There isn’t sufficient batter. I like to recommend utilizing my extraordinarily comparable, scaled-up recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake as an alternative. You’ll be able to pass over the chocolate swirl in that recipe, and substitute with 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar blended with 1 Tablespoon cinnamon.

Key phrases: cinnamon swirl banana bread

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