Description
This delightful Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread combines moist, flavorful banana bread with a delicious cinnamon sugar swirl and a smooth vanilla icing drizzle. Perfectly spiced with cinnamon and enriched with Greek yogurt for extra moisture, this recipe yields a tender loaf that is ideal for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Banana Bread
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar (or use packed brown sugar)
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
- 1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Vanilla Icing
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside. This prevents the top of the bread from browning too quickly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside for later incorporation.
- Cream Butter and Sugar, Add Wet Ingredients: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Then mix in the mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until there are no pockets of flour. Avoid over-mixing to maintain a tender crumb; the batter should be around 3 and 1/2 cups in volume.
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Swirl: In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the swirl.
- Layer Batter and Swirl: Spoon half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over this layer. Pour and carefully spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon-sugar layer. Use a knife to gently swirl the batter down the center of the pan, being careful not to over-swirl so layers remain distinct.
- Bake: Bake the bread for 55 to 65 minutes. About halfway through baking, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Begin checking for doneness around 55 minutes by inserting a toothpick; it should come out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
- Prepare and Drizzle Icing: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream (or milk), and vanilla extract until smooth and thick. Drizzle over the cooled bread before slicing.
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Note that the icing may seep into the bread, making the top slices moist over time.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze the bread without icing for best results. Freeze baked and cooled loaf up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and ice after thawing before serving.
- Special Tools: 9×5-inch loaf pan, whisk, glass mixing bowl, electric mixer (handheld or stand), cooling rack.
- Whole Wheat Flour: Can replace all-purpose flour one-to-one with no other changes.
- Butter: Salted butter can be used interchangeably with unsalted.
- Banana Bread Muffins: Bake at 425°F for 5 mins, reduce to 350°F and bake 16-17 mins for 24 muffins total. This initial hot burst creates tall muffins.
- Sour Cream/Yogurt Substitute: Replace 1/3 cup with additional mashed banana, unsweetened applesauce, or canned pumpkin puree if needed.
- Frozen Bananas: Thaw and drain excess liquid before mashing to avoid overly wet batter.
- Banana Bundt Cake: Not enough batter for a bundt pan; try a scaled-up chocolate marble banana bundt recipe instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of loaf)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
