Description
Bakery-style cinnamon swirl banana bread with a bold cinnamon-sugar ribbon and crunchy top. Moist, tender, and ready in one bowl.
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (or melted butter), cooled
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp lemon juice)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or mini chocolate chips
- Cinnamon Swirl & Topping:
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp melted butter (for topping)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and parchment-line a 9×5 loaf pan.
2. Stir brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon for the swirl; set aside.
3. Whisk bananas, eggs, oil, both sugars, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Fold in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt just until combined.
5. Spread half the batter in pan; add half the cinnamon sugar.
6. Top with remaining batter and remaining cinnamon sugar; swirl 4–5 figure-eights.
7. Drizzle melted butter on top; bake 55–65 minutes until a skewer shows moist crumbs.
8. Cool 10 minutes in pan; lift out and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Use super-ripe bananas for maximum moisture.
Measure flour by spoon-and-level to avoid a dry loaf.
If browning too fast, tent with foil during the last 10 minutes.
Slices freeze well up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 230mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg