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Perfect Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread: Easy Homemade Loaf

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This cinnamon swirl banana bread features a perfectly tender crumb with a crackly cinnamon ribbon running through every bite. It’s an easy one-bowl recipe that uses simple pantry ingredients and stays moist for days.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (for cinnamon swirl)
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for cinnamon swirl)
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (for cinnamon swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the two long sides. Lightly grease the exposed ends.
  2. Make the cinnamon swirl mixture: In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir until it forms a thick, sandy paste. Set aside.
  3. In your large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps.
  4. To the mashed bananas, add the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt). Whisk until smooth and well combined.
  5. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt over the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold gently—just until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  6. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it even. Drop spoonfuls of half the cinnamon mixture over the batter. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl it in—just a few figure-eight motions. Pour the remaining batter on top, spread gently, then drop the remaining cinnamon mixture on top. Swirl again with your knife, this time going deeper to reach the middle layer without dragging all the way to the bottom.
  7. Bake for 55-65 minutes. At 50 minutes, start checking. The top should be deep golden brown, cracked, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
  8. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then lift it out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing—about 1 hour.

Notes

Don’t over-swirl the cinnamon mixture—three or four gentle figure-eight motions is plenty. Room temperature ingredients matter; cold eggs and sour cream can seize melted butter. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to avoid a crumbly texture. The bread tastes even better on day two as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: cinnamon swirl banana bread, easy banana bread, homemade banana bread, moist banana bread, one bowl banana bread

Find it online: https://lunafeast.com/perfect-cinnamon-swirl-banana-bread-easy-homemade-loaf/