Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread

This delightful twist on classic banana bread features a rich, creamy center of sweetened cream cheese, creating a luscious contrast to the moist, flavorful banana bread. It's an indulgent treat perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a special snack.

Full Recipe:

Ingredients

For the Banana Bread:

• 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon (2g) baking soda

• 1½ teaspoons (6g) baking powder

• 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon (3g) salt

• 1 large egg

• ⅓ cup (70g) granulated sugar

• ⅓ cup (70g) packed brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons (40g) melted unsalted butter

• 3 tablespoons (40g) vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract

• ¼ cup (60g) sour cream

• 7 oz (200g) mashed overripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 7 oz (200g) cream cheese, softened

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons (30g) granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon (10g) all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon (3g) vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.

2. Prepare the Banana Bread Batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg with both sugars until well combined. Add the melted butter, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and sour cream to the egg mixture, mixing until smooth. Stir in the mashed bananas. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.

3. Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the egg, sugar, flour, and vanilla extract, and continue to beat until well combined and creamy.

4. Assemble the Bread: Pour about two-thirds of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing it into an even layer. Carefully spread the cream cheese filling over the batter, ensuring it is evenly distributed. Top with the remaining banana bread batter, spreading it gently to cover the cream cheese layer. Use a knife or skewer to swirl the two batters together for a marbled effect.

5. Bake: Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent the pan with aluminum foil.

6. Cool and Serve: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 20–30 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy once fully cooled.

Nutritional Information (per serving)

• Calories: Approximately 375 kcal

• Total Fat: 15.56g

• Saturated Fat: 9.31g

• Cholesterol: 81mg

• Sodium: 204mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 40.51g

• Dietary Fiber: 1g

• Sugars: 28.27g

• Protein: 3.88g

• Vitamin A: 102mcg

• Vitamin C: 2.1mg

• Calcium: 18mg

• Iron: 0.83mg