Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Banana Bread (Printable version)

Moist banana bread with a sweet cinnamon sugar swirl throughout, creating a marbled masterpiece perfect for any time of day.

# Ingredient list:

→ Banana Bread Batter

01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 tsp baking soda
08 - ½ tsp salt

→ Cinnamon Sugar Swirl

09 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
10 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas and melted butter. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix until smooth.
03 - In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined—do not overmix.
04 - In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl.
05 - Pour half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the batter. Top with remaining batter, then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.
06 - Use a knife to gently swirl the cinnamon sugar layer through the batter, creating a marbled effect.
07 - Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cinnamon sugar swirl creates these gorgeous ribbons of sweetness that melt into the banana bread as it bakes
  • It uses up those sad spotted bananas that have been sitting on your counter for days
  • The texture is somewhere between cake and bread, which means you can technically eat it for breakfast and dessert
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will make your bread tough and rubbery, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The swirl looks messy before baking but transforms into beautiful ribbons as the bread rises
  • Start checking for doneness at 50 minutes since ovens vary and nobody likes dry banana bread
03 -
  • Line your loaf pan with parchment paper that overhangs the sides for easy removal
  • If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking

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