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Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread

Cinnamon crunch banana bread with a thick crackled cinnamon-brown sugar crust and a moist, tender banana crumb. This easy banana bread bakes until the top is deeply golden and crunchy, with a toothpick clean from the center.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bananas
  • 3 ripe bananas Mash until smooth with small lumps okay.
Banana bread base
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted; for batter.
  • 0.75 cup sugar For batter sweetness.
  • 2 large eggs Room temperature if possible.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour Spoon into measuring cup, level off.
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt For batter.
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon For batter.
Cinnamon crunch topping
  • 0.333 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp butter Melted; for topping.
  • 0.25 cup flour All-purpose.
  • 1 pinch salt For topping.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and make the topping
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan, leaving a thin film on the sides for easy release.
  2. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, flour, and salt until crumbly, then set aside so it stays thick and sprinkleable.
Mix the banana bread batter
  1. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into mashed bananas until smooth, with no streaks of egg visible.
  2. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined, stopping as soon as the dry bits disappear.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour batter into the greased pan and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon so it bakes level.
  2. Sprinkle the cinnamon crunch topping generously and evenly over the top, pressing lightly only if loose crumbs won’t adhere.
  3. Bake for 60–70 minutes at 350°F until the top is deeply golden and crunchy, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

For the bakery-style crackle, make sure the topping is crumbly (not paste-like) before sprinkling. Cool the loaf at least 20 minutes in the pan for cleaner slices, then transfer to a rack. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze sliced bread up to 2 months. For a lightly lower-sugar option, replace half the sugar with a 1:1 baking sweetener and keep the topping ratios the same.