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image of cinnamon swirl banana bread loaf that's been sliced into to show its beautiful cinnamon sugar swirls
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5 from 20 ratings

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

This cinnamon swirl banana bread recipe is absolutely delicious! It's moist, fluffy and packed with cinnamon flavor.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Additional Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Bread & Cinnamon Rolls
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 429kcal
Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Cinnamon Swirl

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 9g

Cinnamon Banana Bread Recipe

  • 1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 large bananas 250g
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 15g
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 56g
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 56g
  • 1 large egg plus one egg white, room temperature 86g
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda 3g
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon 3g
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, fluffed and level 228g
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature 80g

Vanilla Cinnamon Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 188g
  • 3 Tbsp milk, room temperature 45g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon 3 grams

Instructions

Cinnamon Swirl

  • Mix together 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cinnamon Banana Bread

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 175 C and grease an 8.5-inch x 4.5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.
  • Mash 1 cup of overripe bananas and combine with 1 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice. This prevents the bananas from browning and brightens up their flavor. Set aside.
  • Add 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a large bowl. Beat on a medium high speed for 1-2 minutes with either a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Mix until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
  • Mix in 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1 large whole egg + 1 egg white on a medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
  • Add in 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix on a low speed until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
  • Pour in 1/3 cup of buttermilk and mix on a low speed until incorporated.
  • Mix in the mashed banana/lemon juice mixture on a low speed until they're fully incorporated into the batter.
  • Pour a third of the batter into the prepared pan, then spread half of the cinnamon sugar mixture spread in an even layer over the batter. Repeat this process to make two layers of cinnamon sugar, and top with the remaining batter.
  • Bake on the upper baking rack of your oven for 55-60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through to make sure it bakes evenly.
  • Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Vanilla Cinnamon Glaze

  • Place 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tsp of cinnamon and 3 Tablespoons milk in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together until smooth and no clumps remain.
  • This glaze crusts as it sits, so cover it with plastic wrap if you don't plan to use it immediately.
  • Pour on the cooled loaf of banana bread, and lightly dust with ground cinnamon.

Video

Notes

Making This Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread in Advance & Storage Tips:

You can make this cinnamon swirl banana bread in advance!
It can last for a couple days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer. Store the banana bread in an airtight container to keep it moist.
If you plan to immediately freeze it, I recommend waiting to make the glaze until you thaw it and plan to eat it.
This banana bread freezes extremely well! So don't be afraid to make a double batch and freeze one for later! I like to wrap the banana bread in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil to lock in all the moisture.
When you're ready to enjoy one of the frozen loaves, move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Then set it out at room temperature to let it thaw for a few hours before adding the glaze.

Different Batch Sizes:

This recipe can be doubled to make two loaves.
This recipe can also be used to make cinnamon swirl banana muffins. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake at 350 degrees F for 14-16 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 357mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 41g