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Coffee Cake Banana Bread

Coffee cake banana bread with a thick cinnamon streusel ribbon baked through the center, plus a golden crumb topping. Moist banana loaf texture with a cinnamon-sugar crunch layer in every slice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ripe bananas Mash until mostly smooth.
  • 0.5 cup butter Soften for batter; keep cold cubes for streusel.
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar For streusel.
  • 0.5 cup flour For streusel.
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon For streusel.
  • 4 tbsp cold butter Cubed for streusel.
  • 0.5 cup chopped pecans Optional; fold into streusel if using.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep the oven and pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan with a thin coating so the banana base releases cleanly.
Make the cinnamon streusel
  1. Mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl until evenly combined.
  2. Cut in cold butter until crumbly, then stir in pecans if using and set aside for a thick golden topping.
Mix the banana loaf batter
  1. Beat softened butter and sugar until fluffy, then add eggs, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas and mix well.
  2. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt, alternating with sour cream, until just combined with no dry streaks.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour half the batter into the pan, then sprinkle half the streusel over it to form the center crumb ribbon.
  2. Pour in the remaining batter and top with the remaining streusel so the loaf has a thick crunch cap.
  3. Bake for 60–70 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean and the streusel is deeply golden.

Notes

Pro tip: use very ripe bananas and don’t overmix after adding flour—stop when the batter is just combined for a tender crumb. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; rewarm slices in the oven briefly if you want the streusel to crisp again. Freezing is yes: wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use low-fat sour cream and replace half the butter with an equal amount of neutral oil.