This Cinnamon Banana Bread recipe creates a luscious, moist loaf with a beautiful cinnamon swirl through the middle.
Everybody needs a good banana bread recipe. Contrary to popular belief, sweet dessert breads are not just a holiday baking exercise—trust me, a slice of moist banana bread hits the spot just as well in the spring as it does in the fall. When I wake up knowing there’s a loaf of banana bread on the kitchen counter, I have a little more pep in my step before my morning coffee, because I know I’m headed to the kitchen to snag me a little bite of that tasty treat.
And, like pretty much any baked treat, banana bread tastes even better with a big fat cinnamon-sugar swirl in the middle. Cinnamon gives banana bread a different dynamic—another flavor layer that brings this loaf up a notch or two. The cinnamon works like a dream with the sweetness of ripe bananas.
Not only does this cinnamon banana bread recipe use up quite a few of those bananas you’ve been stashing in the freezer all year, but it tastes like a banana cinnamon roll! It’s a perfect breakfast, and it doubles as an excellent and flavorful dessert. If you put a smear of salted butter on this bread and toast it in the toaster oven, you’ve got a little slice of cinnamon banana heaven on your plate.
Is This Cinnamon Banana Bread Healthy?
There are healthy parts of this recipe, such as the bananas, which provide lots of potassium and other nutrients. The eggs give some protein and healthy fats, and the avocado oil is mostly healthy monounsaturated fat. This recipe is dairy-free. This cinnamon banana bread is a high-calorie, high-sugar dessert bread that should be eaten in moderation. If you limit your sugar intake, consider using a sugar-free sweetener such as monk fruit or erythritol as a substitute for the sugar in this recipe. You can also make this recipe gluten-free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour.
Mix It In, Mix It Up
Think of this cinnamon banana bread recipe as a blank canvas. It’s absolutely delicious as written, but there are plenty of things you can add to make it your own artful loaf. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
- Dried fruit: I recommend throwing in a handful of your favorite dried fruit, such as cranberries or tart cherries, for a little bite of texture contrast against the sweet bread.
- Cream cheese frosting on top: This bread is incredible with a cream cheese topping! I love this Greek Yogurt Frosting recipe that incorporates cream cheese and yogurt together.
- Chopped nuts: Add a handful of your favorite chopped nuts, like walnuts, pecans, or almonds, to the batter before you bake it for an extra dose of protein and a little crunch!
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store leftover bread in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3-4 days. Bear in mind that dense, fruit-filled breads like this tend to be very moist, and if you store a moist loaf of bread in an airtight bag on your countertop, it will spoil pretty quickly. You can also freeze partial or full loaves of cinnamon banana bread! Just store it in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat slices in the toaster, air fryer, or oven.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this bread after a light dinner of grilled meat or fish, such as Salmon Kabobs, this Juicy Grilled Chicken Breast, or these delicious Beef Kabobs. (Can you tell I’m a fan of kabobs?) If you’re serving it for dessert, it might be worth making a batch of this Cinnamon Roll Homemade Cashew Butter to smear on top of each slice.
You can also eat a warm slice of this bread for breakfast on its own, or cut its sweetness with a few slices of Air-Fryer Bacon.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour, 262 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mashed, ripe banana about 4 or 5 large bananas (514 grams)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ⅓ cup avocado oil or any neutral flavored oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling:
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line the bottom of an 8-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, rubbing the sides with oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, ½ tablespoon cinnamon, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk the banana, eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar, coconut sugar, avocado oil, and vanilla until well mixed.
- Add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and whisk until mixed. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Mix the cinnamon-sugar filling ingredients in a bowl until well combined, and sprinkle the mixture over the batter in the loaf pan. Gently spoon the rest of the batter over the top of the cinnamon-sugar filling.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 70-80 minutes. Let the bread cool completely in the pan, 1-2 hours.
- Slice the cooled bread with a serrated knife.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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