Delicious cream cheese banana bread that tastes great right next to a cup of coffee. Easy to make, this banana bread will win your heart.
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The Recipe That Hits the Spot
This is an awesome recipe that any banana bread lover will fall in love with. Wait, you said cream cheese-filled banana bread. Does cream cheese go with banana bread?
OMG, yes, guys, they are, in fact, pretty good friends. When you make this banana bread and fill it with cream cheese mixture, you are ready for a divine experience.
My husband tried it last night after I made it, and he could not stop saying: This is the best banana bread I ever had in my life!". It is indeed incredibly moist, and delicious.
If you don't care for the cream cheese, I have another recipe for Banana Bread on my blog, or you can make this recipe and skip the cream cheese part. I don't know why you would do that, but who am I to judge?
This recipe has a banana batter layer on the bottom, a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, and egg in the middle, and another layer of banana batter on top.
Everything is baked to perfection, and the result is a wonderful coffee bread that everyone will love.
Key ingredients for the batter
- Sour cream- Wait, what? SOUR CREAM IN BANANA BREAD? Yes, stay with me. There are a lot of recipes out there that use sour cream in coffee cakes and bread. Sour cream replaces the oil and butter, as it is one of the fattiest dairy products. The extra fat makes the cakes moister and richer and if you don't believe it, read what Martha Stewart has to say about the matter.
- Granulated Sugar- you can use half granulated sugar and half brown sugar if you prefer a darker version of this bread. The brown sugar adds another layer of flavor as well.
- Large Eggs- I use large eggs in all my baking as they are the most popular and easy to find in the area where I live.
- Salt- Adding a pinch of salt to any batter enhances and balances the final product's taste. Please don't skip it!
- Baking Soda- helps the bread to rise.
- All-purpose flour- I made this recipe with both all-purpose flour and also with whole wheat flour. You can use whole wheat flour for the entire recipe, or you can make a combination of 50-50 with the all-purpose flour. Play with that and see what you like the best.
- Overripe bananas- Any respectable banana bread has overripe bananas, as I truly believe that it was invented for these bananas sitting on the kitchen counter and not being loved.
- Vanilla- I used vanilla extract, as it is easy to find. Try to use good vanilla for a good flavor. I would rather skip it entirely than use a fake/imitation vanilla. Good food is made with good ingredients!
Optional: Nuts, chocolate chips, cinnamon, etc.
Key ingredients for the filling
- Cream Cheese
- Granulated Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Eggs- large size
How to make
This recipe is easy to put together, so please do not think you cannot do it. Also, do not get intimidated by the cream cheese filling. It is easier to make than you can think it is.
The first step is to preheat the oven. As I always told you in the past, getting the oven ready for baking is the best thing you can do before starting anything.
Cream cheese filling first.
I am saying this because the banana bread batter has baking soda and sour cream, among other ingredients.
The baking soda and sour cream get friendly with each other really fast, so you need to have everything prepared to place the batter in the oven as soon as possible. Otherwise, the bread will not rise properly.
Beat the cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg, mix again to create a smooth mixture. Incorporate the flour and set the bowl aside for later use.
Banana bread batter
Follow the order of the ingredients listed when you mix them. How easy is that? After you finish mixing them, set the bowl aside and take care of the baking pan.
Note: Spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup instead of scooping it out of the container. If you scoop your flour out of the container, you can end up with way too much flour in your recipe and a super dense loaf of banana bread.
Butter and flour a 9x5 inches loaf baking pan and pour a half mixture of the banana bread batter in the pan. Add the cream cheese mixture over the batter and pour the rest of the banana bread batter over.
Bake at 350F for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.
TIP: When baking in a glass pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25F.
Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Banana bread with cream cheese is a perfect breakfast on the go, a perfect snack, especially with a cup of coffee.
Make a double batch and freeze one loaf for later use
I do this sometimes, so I can share it with my daughter when she comes to visit. Also, the banana bread made this way can stay at room temperature for no more than 3-4 days.
Can I freeze it?
I freeze leftover bananas for this bread. If I buy too many or they ripen too fast, and I do not have time to make a loaf of bread right away, I freeze them un-peeled in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
FAQs
When the banana bread is out of the oven, let it cool completely before you slice it. The cream cheese needs time to set.
Yes, you can. However, the bread will come out darker in color and more compact. I would add a ¼ teaspoon of baking powder to help the batter rise a little bit more.
No, you do not need to refrigerate the bread as the cream cheese inside is already cooked. Please keep it in a cool, dry place. It should be good for up to 4 days. If you live in a humid environment, then I would refrigerate it.
Yes, this bread freezes really well. Make sure you put it in the freezer as soon as the bread has cooled completely. It will be good for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can do that too. This would be really fun. I would use the same temperature for baking them, but I would take them out after 15-17 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- 1. Stir in some chopped walnuts or chocolate chips of your choice into the banana bread batter.
- 2. Add streusel to the top of the bread before you bake it.
- 3. Add raisins or cranberries to the banana bread batter OR to the cream cheese instead.
More recipes to love
Banana Walnuts chocolate Chips Soft Cookies
Easy Banana Bread With Sour Cream
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Cream Cheese Banana Bread
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons all purpose flour
- 1 large egg
Banana Bread Batter:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 over ripe bananas mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
Cream cheese filling:
- Beat the cream cheese with sugar, add the egg and the flour and mix everything well. Set aside.
Banana bread batter:
- In a medium bowl mix the ingredients in the order they are listed.
- Set aside.
- Grab a loaf baking pan and pour half mixture of the banana bread batter in the pan.
- Add the cream cheese, then pour the rest of the banana bread batter over.
- Bake at 350F for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.
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