Banana Cinnamon-Swirl Bread

Start your morning or spice up your afternoon with this delicious banana bread with cinnamon-swirl filling and cinnamon-pecan crumble topping!

Inspiration for this delicious quick bread came from my friend, Monique, at La Table de Nana who had found the recipe here, who had found it here.  I love how good recipes make their way around!  I would have never thought to put a cinnamon swirl filling in banana bread but I'm so happy I tried it.

Instead of using the recipe for banana bread from the original post, I used my tried-and-true recipe for banana bread which, once again, comes from the cookbook 'Noteworthy' that I mentioned in my last post.  I like this recipe because it makes enough to fill my 4-cavity mini loaf pan. I love to make four mini loaves so I can share or freeze whole mini loaves.  Another change-up was to add chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel on top of the bread.  I was very pleased with the result!  Monique makes hers with chocolate chips for her grandsons.  I forgot but it was delicious just the way it was. 

Whenever we have our grandsons over for the day, it's always a great excuse to bake something comforting and sweet.  Care for a slice?

Banana Cinnamon-Swirl Bread

Adapted from La Table De Nana

Printable Recipe

Notes: I used my favorite banana bread recipe.  See the link above for making a 1-loaf recipe.

Yields 2 loaves or 4 mini loaves

¼ pound plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
4 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups mashed bananas (about 7)

For the swirl:

2/3 cup sugar (divided)
2 Tablespoon cinnamon (divided)

1 T melted butter
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon.

In another small dish, mix together the remaining sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts and melted butter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour loaf pans or spray with nonstick baking spray. 

In large bowl, (I use my stand mixer) cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and mix well.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add alternately with bananas to egg mixture.

Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pans and then sprinkle the plain cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar with the nuts and butter on top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, for large loaves or about 40 minutes for mini loaves. Test with a toothpick 1-10 minutes before the end of baking time.  Remove pans from oven if toothpick comes out clean.