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Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Cream cheese banana bread with a marbled ribbon of tangy cream cheese swirled through classic banana batter. Bake until the banana portion stays moist and a toothpick comes out clean, then cool for clean slices and a visible swirl pattern.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread batter
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed Use bananas with heavy speckling for best sweetness.
  • 0.333333 cup melted butter
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
Cream cheese swirl
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.25 cup sugar (for cream cheese layer)
  • 1 egg yolk (for cream cheese layer)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan.
  2. Mash the very ripe bananas until smooth so they blend evenly into the batter.
Make banana batter
  1. Mix the mashed bananas, melted butter, sugar, and egg until smooth, then fold in the all-purpose flour and baking soda.
Make cream cheese layer
  1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar (for cream cheese layer), and egg yolk until smooth and creamy.
Assemble with swirl
  1. Pour half the banana batter into the loaf pan.
  2. Dollop and swirl in half the cream cheese mixture, gently drawing through with a knife for a marbled pattern.
  3. Repeat by adding the remaining banana batter, then dollop and swirl in the remaining cream cheese mixture with a gentle knife motion.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the banana portion comes out clean.
  2. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to set the swirl.

Notes

Pro tip: swirl gently—too much stirring will blend the layers and dull the marbled look. Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days; the cream cheese filling benefits from chilling before slicing. Freezing is yes, wrap well and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw in the refrigerator. For a dairy-reduced option, use a cream-cheese style spread that stays sliceable (expect a slightly softer swirl).