The BEST Cinnamon Banana Bread
This quick and easy Cinnamon Banana Bread is our all-time favorite banana bread recipe! It is made with simple ingredients that can be mixed by hand in a matter of minutes. This bread is moist, tender and you simply can't beat the cinnamon swirl!
Looking for more bread and breakfast recipes? Try my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread or Blueberry Coffee Cake!
All about this Cinnamon Banana Bread
Do you have a favorite banana bread recipe yet? If not, I highly recommend this one! It is an easy, simple recipe that is everything you could want in a banana bread.
I love this recipe because it is the perfect mix of banana and warming spices. It screams cozy comfort food! I also love that it is naturally sweetened with honey and maple syrup which prevents it from being overly sweet if you choose to add the cinnamon sugar topping. This recipe is extremely flexible and can be made gluten-free, dairy-free, or sugar-free. But most importantly, it is beyond delicious!
- Flavor: This cinnamon banana bread is beyond delicious! I think we all know that there is magic that happens when you add cinnamon and warming spices to any baked good. I mean, you really can't go wrong! I use a combination of honey and maple syrup to sweeten the bread batter so it isn't overly sweet when the cinnamon sugar swirl is added. Perfection!
- Texture: This bread is moist and tender with a divine crumb. It has a great soft texture and cuts very well.
- Ease: This recipe is very easy to make. All you need is a mixing bowl and a loaf pan. Heck, even if you didn't have those you could manage this recipe! A beginner can easily master this one by following my detailed instructions below.
Frequently Asked Questions
As much as you prefer! We use 1 teaspoon in the bread batter plus another tablespoon for the swirl in this recipe. Perfect cinnamon to banana bread ratio every time!
Banana bread is best eaten fresh, but if you are storing the best way to keep banana bread moist is to place a paper towel in the bottom of an airtight storage container and place the loaf on top of it. Make sure the loaf is fully cooled before placing in the container. The paper towel should absorb any excess moisture. Cover the bread with another paper towel for best results
A dense banana bread means you over mixed your batter. We, of course, don't want that. So be sure to only mix your batter until it is just combined.
Ingredients
To make this cinnamon banana bread recipe, you will need the following ingredients. See the full recipe card below for detailed amounts and instructions!
- Flour - Your preference of all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or gluten-free flour work.
- Eggs, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract - Of course!
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg - For that perfect spice.
- Bananas - Two smashed ripe bananas do the trick.
- Milk - Your favorite kind of cow's milk or almond milk.
- Honey & Maple syrup - I love using these healthier sweeteners for the bread.
- Coconut oil - Or any type of mild-flavored oil.
I have used these nonstick loaf pans for years and highly recommend them, but any 1 pound loaf pan will do. Just make sure you grease the pan for a perfect release.
How to Make This Cinnamon Banana Bread
To make this cinnamon banana bread recipe, simply:
- Mix the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
In a medium bowl, whisk together bananas, eggs, milk, vanilla, honey, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Mix the wet into the dry ingredients until fully combined.
- Bake.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake until the bread passes the toothpick test.
- Serve.
Allow bread to cool at least 5 minutes before removing from pan.
To store: Keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or a sealed container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To freeze: It is always best to freeze the bread at its freshest. Just make sure it is completely cooled before wrapping it in plastic wrap and sealing in an airtight container or freezer bag. You can freeze this bread for up to 3 months and transfer it to the fridge to defrost overnight.
Variations
This bread recipe can easily be altered based on what you have on hand or your preferences! Some great variations include:
- Chocolate chips - Always a favorite! Sprinkle them on top or mix them into the batter.
- Nuts or seeds - Pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds would make a great addition.
- Dried fruit - Dried cranberries, raisins, or apricots.
- Flour - Gluten-free or whole wheat flour can be used instead of the all-purpose flour.
- Milk - Almond milk can be substituted for cow's milk.
- Sugar - To make sugar-free omit or replace the sugar topping.
More Fall Desserts You’ll Love!
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
- Maple Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Apple Cider Blondies
- Easy Spiced Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Spice Madeleines With Maple Glaze
- Caramel French Toast Bake With Berry Sauce Topping
- Pumpkin Pecan Fudge
- Easy Pumpkin Scones
- A Campfire Apple S’mores Tray
Cinnamon Banana Bread
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 large loaf or 3 mini loaves 1x
Description
This quick and easy Cinnamon Banana Bread is our all-time favorite banana bread recipe! It is made with simple ingredients that can be mixed by hand in a matter of minutes. This bread is moist, tender and you simply can't beat the cinnamon swirl!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- Sugar & cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Grease loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, milk, vanilla, honey, maple syrup, and coconut oil until fully combined.
- Add the wet mix to the dry and stir until combined.
- In a small bowl, combine your desired amount of cinnamon sugar (I use ½ cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon)
- Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle about half of the cinnamon sugar mix on top of the batter. Pour the remaining batter over top and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly on top and swirl a knife down the length of the loaf.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from pan.
Notes
- Gluten-free or whole wheat flour can be used instead of the all-purpose flour.
- Almond milk can be substituted for cow's milk.
- To make sugar-free omit or replace the sugar topping.
- To store, keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or a sealed container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
Keywords: banana bread, cinnamon, cinnamon banana bread, breakfast recipe
This was so amazing. Was very surprised to find how light and fluffy it was. I am very puzzled to find the appearance of the batter was so dark. There was hardly a difference in colour compared to the swirl. I was wondering if leaving out the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon would make any difference in the taste of the cake.
Also made your master class thumbprint cookies, which were amazing. Looking forward to your response. Thank you
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled that you loved this bread AND the thumbprint cookies. Two of my very favorites! I'm a big cinnamon girl so I've never left it out, but I'm sure it would be just as good!