Cream Cheese Banana Bread

No yeast is involved in this yummy Cream Cheese Banana Bread! It’s delicious, simple, and topped with cinnamon and sugar.

That yummy swirl in the center makes Cream Cheese Banana Bread next-level delicious! For more heavenly sweet bread, try Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, and Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread.

Next Level Banana Bread

I’ve talked about my love for non-yeast bread recipes before. They’re usually super easy, and we are always on the hunt for the yummiest recipes.

My mom was able to find one – yet again! It’s similar to our favorite Banana Bread Recipe, only with a few modifications (or upgrades, if you will).

Cream cheese banana bread is darn right delicious, as you could only expect with sour cream, cream cheese, and cinnamon/sugar on top. It’s definitely a new favorite, and we can’t wait to make it again.

If you love banana bread, you’ll definitely want to try this cream cheese stuffed version. It’s full of banana flavor!

Making Banana Bread with Cream Cheese

This Cream Cheese Banana Bread Recipe is a delicious twist on classic Banana Bread, and is so simple to make!

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9”x5” bread pans with cooking spray.

WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl, mix sugar, butter & eggs. In a separate bowl, dissolve baking soda in sour cream and add it to the sugar mixture. Add bananas.

DRY INGREDIENTS. Mix in salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir to combine.

Divide the batter into 2 bowls. Now take the batter from the first bowl and pour it evenly into TWO 9”x5” loaf pans.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING. Mix cream cheese, sugar, egg, and flour in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Layer evenly over the mixture in both bread pans.

Divide the batter from the second bowl evenly in both pans, covering the layer of cream cheese.

BAKE. Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon before baking. Bake for 50 min. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Different bread pans

This recipe yields two standard-sized bread loaves, but can easily be made in other types of pans. 

4 or 5 mini loaves: Separate the batter into two bowls. Divide the batter from one bowl into the mini pans. Then, evenly divide the cream cheese mixture and then divide the remaining banana bread batter between the pans.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

Muffins: Separate the batter into two bowls. Divide the batter from one bowl into the cupcake tins filling each tin about ¼ of the way.

Next, put the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag to make it easier to add to each muffin. Add an even amount of the cream cheese mixture into the tins and then top that with the remaining batter. Bake for about 25 minutes. 

Bundt pan: Pour half the batter into a well-greased bundt pan. Spread on the cream cheese layer and top off with the remaining batter. Bake for closer to 1 hour. 

In all cases use a wooden skewer or toothpick to check for doneness. 

Ripening bananas

Quickly ripen bananas. This recipe calls for 3 RIPE bananas. Generally, bananas on the counter take 4+ days to ripen to the point they’re good for bread making.

I have some tricks to speed up the process. These times are based off of using bananas that are just a little green.

• Brown paper bag: Place the fruit in a brown bag and loosely close the top. They should ripen in only about 24 hours
• Oven: Put the UNpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until the peels become shiny and black. (They may also leak a bit of juice). Allow them to cool before removing the peel.
• Microwave: Use a fork to poke several holes in the banana. Microwave in 30-second increments until the banana is soft. This may take up to 2 minutes.

Bananas can get too ripe to eat, but rarely too ripe to be used in bread.

Freeze. Whenever I have bananas that become too ripe to eat I throw them in the freezer. This way I always have some on hand when I want to make bread.

Allow them to thaw, trim the end of the peel, and squeeze the top. The banana will slide right out. 

Recipe Tips + Variations

Do not overmix. Use an electric mixer, but be sure to not over-mix the batter. Doing so causes the gluten to overdevelop and can result in a tougher texture.

Flour. Scooping flour so that it is packed can result in a dry muffin. Instead, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and use a knife to level off the top.

Banana. Using too much banana can cause the muffin to be too wet.

Cool. Allow the bread to cool in the pans for a minute or two and then remove them from the pans to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled they can be stored for later.

Room-temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, cream cheese, and sour cream) will mix better with the other ingredients.

Variations.

• This bread would make delicious French Toast or even French Toast Casserole.
• Greek Yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.
• Nuts. Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the batter before baking.

Storing Info

STORE. Due to the cream cheese, it will only last for a couple of days when wrapped in plastic and stored on the counter.

For longer storage, keep Cream Cheese filled Banana Bread in an airtight container/bag in the fridge for up to a week.

FREEZE. Wrap the cool bread whole, or as individual slices, with plastic wrap. Wrap it again with aluminum foil or place them in an airtight freezer-safe container. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. 

Recipe FAQ

for more banana recipes:

• Banana Cupcakes
• Frosted Banana Bars 
• Banana Oatmeal Cookies
• Banana Pancakes
• Easy Banana Pudding
• Best Banana Bread Recipe