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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Cinnamon swirl banana bread with a marbled cinnamon ribbon spiraled through a golden crumb. Baked until deeply golden, then cooled for clean slicing with a cinnamon brown sugar center swirl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread batter
  • 3 bananas Ripe bananas, mashed until smooth.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted; helps create a tender crumb.
  • 0.75 cup sugar For sweetness in the batter.
  • 2 eggs Large eggs, room temperature preferred.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract Adds warm flavor.
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour All-purpose flour only.
  • 1 tsp baking soda Leavening for lift.
  • 0.5 tsp salt Balances sweetness.
Cinnamon swirl
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar For the swirl filling.
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon Ground cinnamon for the ribbon.
  • 1 tbsp butter Melted; mixes into the swirl for a thick drizzle.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Mash the ripe bananas until smooth.
Make batter
  1. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until smooth.
  2. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
Make cinnamon swirl
  1. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together in a small bowl until it forms a thick cinnamon mixture.
Assemble and swirl
  1. Pour half the banana batter into the loaf pan.
  2. Drizzle all the cinnamon mixture over the batter layer.
  3. Pour in the remaining batter and swirl through with a knife or skewer to create a marbled ribbon.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350°F for 60–70 minutes until deeply golden.
  2. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; if it comes out clean, remove the loaf.
  3. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing to keep the swirl intact.

Notes

Pro tip: for a more defined ribbon, swirl in one direction a few times rather than fully stirring; the top should look streaked from pan to pan. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; rewarm slices briefly. Freezing works well: wrap tightly and freeze up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, swap 1/2 cup of the butter for unsweetened applesauce (expect a slightly softer crumb).