Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread

Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread — This is the BEST homemade banana bread recipe! This banana bread tastes like it has cheesecake baked in! Soft, fluffy, easy and tastes ahhhh-mazing!!

Easiest Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Filling 

With over 40+ banana bread and banana recipes, I don’t know why I’ve never incorporated cream cheese. I don’t know what I was thinking because I was really missing out! This cream cheese banana bread is soft and moist, and the cream cheese layer is like having a layer of cheesecake baked into the moist banana bread. No complaints here! 

I had ripe bananas and cream cheese getting ready to expire and knew I needed to do something with both. And voila, this cream cheese swirl banana bread was born.

To make this banana bread recipe, I essentially halved this Peach Mango Coconut Oil Banana Bread. I love everything about that recipe except it makes two loaves and I knew one loaf of cream cheese-filled banana bread would be plenty. It’s almost swimsuit season, after all. 

The big river of cream cheese reminds me of the cream cheese in my Blueberry and Cream Cheese Muffin Top Bread, but this is a thick, bold, unmistakeable layer. It really makes this bread out of this world.

What makes this the best banana bread recipe ever, you ask? For starters, it’s an easy, no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes.

I use melted coconut oil so there’s no butter to cream and no mixer to dirty. Oil keeps bread softer and springier than butter, and I prefer the taste. And a little sour cream (or Greek yogurt) is extra insurance for a soft, springy, bouncy, fluffy loaf. Using sour cream, Greek yogurt, or buttermilk in quick bread and muffin recipe ensures more tender results. 

I had intentions of making French toast with extra slices from the loaf, but we loved this bread a little too much and it disappeared in a day.

It has been a reader favorite that went viral in 2014 when I first posted this recipe. The recipe and photos have been stolen and copied, but that goes with the territory with viral recipes. Most importantly, it’s been adored by thousands of people and those are the comments and feedback I love reading.

Read more: If you love this cream cheese-filled banana bread, then you’ll definitely love my Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread as well! 

What’s in the Cream Cheese Banana Bread? 

For the moist banana bread itself, you’ll need: 

• Egg 
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Coconut oil
• Sour cream
• Vanilla extract
• Ripe bananas
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Salt

And for the cream cheese filling, you’ll need: 

• Egg 
• Softened cream cheese
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour

How to Make Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

Don’t let the cream cheese filling fool you into thinking this is a tough banana bread recipe to make — it’s not! This is an incredibly easy homemade banana bread recipe. 

To make the cream cheese banana bread batter, first whisk together the egg, sugars, coconut oil, sour cream, and vanilla before stirring in the mashed bananas and the rest of the dry ingredients. Turn about two-thirds of the batter into a greased loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon. 

Then, stir together the ingredients for the cream cheese filling and carefully pour over the banana bread batter. Smooth out the top once more before pouring the remaining banana bread batter over the cream cheese layer. 

Bake the cream cheese banana bread until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note that the toothpick test isn’t the most accurate because the cream cheese never gets totally solid.

Once the bread is out of the oven, let it cool completely before slicing and serving. The cream cheese center needs time to set fully, and if you slice it too soon it’ll just ooze out. 

How to Soften Cream Cheese

If you don’t bake often with cream cheese, you may not be familiar with the best method for softening it. For this banana bread recipe, you need to use brick-style cream cheese (not the whipped kind in a plastic tub). Set the cream cheese on your counter to soften (this will take about an hour, maybe more).

I don’t recommend softening the cream cheese in the microwave, as that can make it too soft. 

Can I Use a Coconut Oil Substitute? 

Coconut oil adds a nearly imperceptible undertone that’s sweeter and more fragrant than canola or vegetable oil, but substitute with them if you’d like or if you’re very sensitive to coconut flavors. I love baking with coconut oil for muffins, cakes, bread, cookies and more. 

Can I Make This with Whole Wheat Flour? 

I’ve only ever made this cream cheese banana bread recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure if whole wheat flour would work. My gut says no, but if you try it and it works for you please leave me a comment so I can try it myself! 

Can I Use an 8×4-inch Pan Instead? 

I make this banana bread recipe in a 9×5-inch loaf pan, and this bread is a large loaf. I think an 8×4-inch pan would be too small, and the batter may run over the sides. But you can give it a try if that’s what you have on hand! Just keep in mind that you’ll likely need to bake the bread for longer as well. 

Does Banana Bread Need to Be Refrigerated? 

No, because the cream cheese filling is baked it’s safe to leave out at room temperature. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Tips for Making Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread

For the best tasting cream cheese banana bread, you’ll want to use really ripe bananas that have plenty of black spots on them. You need to actually measure out the mashed banana to see if it’s 1 cup, because your idea of two “large bananas” may be different than mine, and you want to add the exact right amount of banana to this bread. 

Also note that once you add the flour to the banana bread batter you should continue mixing the batter until everything is just combined. You do NOT want to over mix the batter, otherwise your homemade banana bread will be a little tough. 

Lastly, tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped over it at the 30 minute-mark if you feel the tops and sides of the cream cheese-filled banana bread will become too browned before the center cooks through. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of bananas, cream cheese, climate, and oven variances. You need to bake this moist banana bread until done — watch your bread, not the clock.

Print

Yield: one 9x5-inch loaf

Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Cooling Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

This is the BEST homemade banana bread recipe! This cream cheese banana bread tastes like it has cheesecake baked in! Soft, fluffy and tastes ahhhh-mazing!!

Ingredients

Bread

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup liquid-state coconut oil (canola or vegetable may be substituted)
• 1/4 cup cup sour cream (lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt, optional and to taste

Cream Cheese Filling

• 1 large egg
• 4 ounces softened brick-style cream cheese (lite is okay)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.

Make the Banana Bread

1. In a large bowl, add the egg, sugars, coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
2. Add the bananas and stir to incorporate.
3. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix; set aside.
4. Turn about two-thirds of the batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary; set aside.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients and whisk to combine. Alternatively, mix with a hand mixer.
2. Evenly pour filling mixture over the bread, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.
3. Top with remaining batter, smoothing the top very lightly with a spatula as to not disturb cream cheese layer and pushing batter into corners and sides as necessary.
4. Bake for about 48 to 50 minutes or until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Note this is tricky because the cream cheese never gets totally solid so the toothpick test isn’t the most accurate.*
5. Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
6. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

*Tip: Tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped over it at the 30 minute-mark if you feel the tops and sides will become too browned before center cooks through. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of bananas, cream cheese, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock.

Optionally, serve bread with Honey Butter, Cinnamon-Sugar Butter, Blueberry Butter, Strawberry Butter, or Vanilla Browned Butter Glaze.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 155mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 4g

More Homemade Banana Bread Recipes:

Love banana recipes? Here are 40+ banana bread recipes and banana desserts to get you started! 

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Peach Mango Coconut Oil Banana Bread — My favorite banana bread recipe to date and inspired today’s recipe.

Pineapple Coconut Oil Banana Bread – Buttermilk, bananas and coconut oil keep this bread super moist, tender and it tastes like a tropical vacation.

Brown Sugar Blueberry Banana Bread – Blueberry coffee cake meets super soft banana bread.

Six-Banana Banana Bread – Six bananas in one loaf of bread means an extremely soft, moist, and richly flavored bread.

Browned Butter Buttermilk Banana Bread with Strawberry Butter — The browned butter and buttermilk add richness, softness, and moisture, and the strawberry butter makes it that much better.

Zucchini Banana Bread — This Zucchini Banana Bread is so soft, tender, uber-moist, dense enough to be satisfying, but still light!

The BEST Strawberry Banana Bread — This strawberry bread is packed with fresh, juicy strawberries in every bite! This is an easy, no-mixer quick bread recipe you’re going to love!

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