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Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread

Cream cheese filled banana bread with a thick, creamy cheesecake layer running through a golden banana loaf. Bakes until the banana crumb is set (toothpick test avoids the cream cheese center) for a clean slice and classic bakery banana bread texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread
  • 3 bananas Ripe bananas, mashed to a smooth consistency.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted and cooled slightly before mixing into batter.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Granulated sugar for the banana batter.
  • 2 eggs Large eggs, room temperature helps the batter combine smoothly.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract For the banana bread batter.
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour Spoon into the measuring cup and level.
  • 1 tsp baking soda Check freshness for best rise.
  • 0.5 tsp salt Balances sweetness.
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon Adds warm banana-bread aroma.
Cream cheese filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese Softened so it blends smooth without lumps.
  • 0.25 cup sugar For sweetening the cheesecake center.
  • 1 egg Large egg, helps the filling set while baking.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract For the cream cheese filling.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat & prep pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
Make cream cheese filling
  1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth for the filling, then set aside.
Mix banana bread batter
  1. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into mashed bananas for the bread batter.
  2. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined, then stop mixing when no dry streaks remain.
Assemble & bake
  1. Pour half the banana batter into the pan and spread evenly.
  2. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the batter layer.
  3. Pour the remaining banana batter on top and lightly smooth the surface.
  4. Bake for 65–75 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the banana bread (not the cream cheese layer) comes out clean; start checking near 65 minutes because the filling adds bake time.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the toothpick test out of the cream cheese center—use the banana crumb—so you don’t overbake the loaf trying to confirm the cheesecake. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm slices in the microwave for 15–25 seconds. Freezing is yes: wrap individual slices and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. Dietary swap: for a lower-sugar version, use a 1:1 baking sugar substitute for both the banana batter and filling, keeping the bake time the same.