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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Cinnamon swirl banana bread with a dramatic cinnamon brown sugar ribbon spiraling through a golden, tender crumb. This easy banana bread recipe bakes until deeply golden, then rests before slicing for clean marbled layers.
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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: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread batter
  • 3 ripe bananas Mash until smooth, no large lumps.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted; cool slightly if very hot.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Granulated sugar.
  • 2 large eggs Room temperature helps blend smoothly.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Cinnamon swirl
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp butter Melted; use for the swirl mixture.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prepare and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan with a thin, even coating so the loaf releases cleanly.
Make banana batter
  1. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until smooth and glossy, with no streaks of egg.
  2. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry pockets remain.
Mix cinnamon swirl
  1. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until it looks like damp cinnamon sand with clumps that will form the ribbon.
Assemble swirl loaf
  1. Pour half the banana batter into the loaf pan and spread to level the surface for even swirls.
  2. Drizzle all the cinnamon mixture over the batter in an even layer so the swirl runs top to bottom.
  3. Pour remaining batter over the cinnamon and swirl through with a knife or skewer in gentle S-shapes to create a marbled cinnamon ribbon.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350°F for 60–70 minutes until deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  2. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing so the crumb sets and the cinnamon ribbon holds its shape.

Notes

For the cleanest cinnamon ribbon, drizzle the swirl mixture in an even layer before topping with the remaining batter. Store sliced banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze for up to 2 months (wrap well). For a lighter option, replace half the butter with an equal amount of neutral oil or unsweetened applesauce, noting the texture may be slightly softer.