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Cream Cheese Swirl Banana Bread Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Cream Cheese Swirl Banana Bread Recipe

I made this cream cheese swirl banana bread on a lazy Sunday when three spotty bananas were begging to be used. One slice in, I knew I would never go back to plain loaves again. The tangy ribbons of cheesecake run right through the soft, sweet crumb.
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Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 to 3 very ripe bananas about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed: the spottier the peel, the sweeter and moister the loaf.
  • 1/3 cup melted butter salted or unsalted: it adds richness, so let it cool slightly before mixing.
  • 3/4 cup sugar: use 1/2 cup for a less sweet loaf or 1 cup for a sweeter one.
  • 1 large egg beaten: it binds the batter, so beat it well first.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract: it rounds out the banana flavor.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda: it gives the bread its lift.
  • 1 pinch of salt: it sharpens every flavor.
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour: spoon it into the cup and level it off don't scoop.
  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature: use a brick, not a tub, so the swirl holds its shape.
  • 1 large egg: it sets the filling like a soft cheesecake.
  • 1/4 cup sugar: it balances the tang of the cheese.
  • 2 tablespoons flour: it keeps the swirl from sinking.

Method
 

  1. Set your oven to 350°F and let it fully heat up. Line the loaf pan with parchment so the sides hang over. Grease the paper lightly, and the loaf will slide right out later.
  2. Peel the bananas and drop them into a large bowl. Mash them with a fork until mostly smooth, leaving a few small lumps. Those little bits make every bite taste more like real banana.
  3. Pour the melted butter over the mashed bananas and stir well. Add the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture looks glossy and combined.
  4. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the bowl. Add the flour and fold with a spatula. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain, because overmixing makes the bread tough.
  5. Beat the soft cream cheese in a separate bowl until smooth. Add the egg, sugar, and flour. Whisk until silky, with no lumps left, so it swirls neatly.
  6. Spoon about half of the banana batter into the pan. Dollop half of the cream cheese mixture on top. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling for pretty layers.
  7. Insert a butter knife into the pan and drag it through the layers. Make a few gentle figure-eight motions. Don't overdo it, or the cream cheese will blend in and vanish.
  8. Slide the pan into the oven and bake for about 60 minutes. The top should look golden and the center should feel set. Test with a toothpick in the banana batter, not the cream cheese.
  9. Let the loaf rest in the pan for about 15 minutes. Lift it out with the parchment and move it to a wire rack. Cool it completely, since the swirl firms up as it chills.

Notes

  • I always use bananas with plenty of brown spots. Pale bananas gave me a bland, dry loaf.
  • I take the cream cheese out an hour early. Cold cream cheese leaves stubborn lumps in the swirl.
  • I use a light-colored metal pan. My dark pan browned the edges too fast.
  • I tent the loaf with foil if the top darkens before the center is done.
  • I wait until the bread is fully cool before slicing. Warm slices fall apart and look messy.
  • I wipe my knife between cuts, which keeps each slice clean and pretty.