Hi everyone! Hope you all have been safe and well. I don’t know about you guys but I feel like this has been the year of banana bread. I’m not sure if this came to be from people being stuck at home and baking a lot or just that we are noticing the seasonal goodies we can enjoy more now. Either way, I’ve seen people making and sharing banana bread recipes more than I ever have in my life before, and I’ve been loving it. I decided I wanted to share my own little fun banana bread recipe on here, banana bread with a cinnamon swirl throughout that I know you all will love. I can’t think of a better recipe to end the summer with since it seems to have encapsulated so much of our time these last two seasons. I’m looking forward to publishing a lot of fall content on here soon, but in the meantime let’s break down this banana bread and kiss summer goodbye!
The best part about most loaf recipes, banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, etc. is that they truly are easy. It’s a great way to have a gourmet treat in a quick amount of time. The base of this recipe is as simple as it gets. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon get combined with mashed banana, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Just whisk the dry ingredients together, then the wet, and combine.
Try not to over-mix! The secret to any well-textured cake or loaf is to simply gently fold the ingredients together until JUST combined. When we over-mix, gluten becomes over developed, and that’s how we get a tough, gummy banana bread instead of a light, moist one. Lesson: treat your baked goods with care.
Once you have your batter, set aside and quickly get together the mixture for your cinnamon sugar swirl. All you will need is melted butter, cinnamon, and both white and brown sugar. Mix it together until it turns into a sandy consistency and set aside.
In a greased 9×5 loaf pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper, add about 1/4 of the banana bread batter and spread out evenly. Add 1/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture and swirl in with a knife. Place another 1/4 of the batter on top and swirl with another 1/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat this 2 more times. If you wish, you can add long banana slices to the top, but that’s more for aesthetics than anything.
Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely, then remove from the pan. Slice and enjoy!
This banana bread base has always been one of my favorite recipes. 10 year old me wrote it down on a memo and it’s been in my recipe box ever since. I decided to add the cinnamon sugar for a fun twist and I think it really makes the recipe extra special. I hope you all enjoy!
With Love,
Jenna
Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
Ingredients
For the Banana Bread Batter:
- 2 cups flour all-purpose
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs large
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 over-ripe bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or any neutral flavored oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl (enough for 2 loaves, make sure to split in half when assembling):
- 4 tbsp melted butter unsalted
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp light brown sugar
- 4 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
For the Banana Bread Batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas to your preference. I like mine to be as mashed as possible, with little lumps. Add in the sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil. Whisk until combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients and gently fold until well combined. Set aside.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl:
- Add the cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar to the melted butter and mix until it is a sand-like texture.
Assembly:
- Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and line with parchement paper.
- Add 1/4 of the batter to the bottom of the pan and spread evenly. Add 1/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture and swirl in with a knife. Repeat this process three more times.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan completely. Remove, slice, and enjoy!