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Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread

Cream cheese filled banana bread with a thick cheesecake layer swirled through moist banana crumb. Bakes until golden on top and custardy in the center, with a toothpick check that avoids the cream cheese layer.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread batter
  • 3 bananas ripe, mashed
  • 0.5 cup butter melted
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Cream cheese filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and filling
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. (Visual cue: no dry spots on the pan so the loaf releases cleanly.)
  2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth for the filling, then set aside. (Visual cue: the mixture looks glossy and lump-free.)
Banana bread batter and assemble
  1. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract into mashed bananas until smooth. (Visual cue: the batter turns thick and evenly banana-colored.)
  2. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined. (Visual cue: no visible streaks of flour; stop when the batter looks uniform.)
  3. Pour half the banana batter into the pan, then spread the cream cheese filling evenly over it. (Visual cue: a continuous ivory layer forms on top of the batter.)
  4. Pour the remaining banana batter on top of the filling. (Visual cue: the filling is fully covered with an even top layer.)
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 65–75 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the banana bread (not the cream cheese layer) comes out clean. (Visual cue: the loaf is golden on the exterior and springs back lightly when pressed.)

Notes

Pro tip: mash the bananas until mostly smooth so the batter stays cohesive and bakes into a tender crumb. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze slices for up to 2 months. For a dietary swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make banana cheesecake bread gluten-free without changing the technique.