Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread — This is the BEST homemade banana bread recipe! The banana bread tastes like it has cheesecake baked in thanks to the luscious cream cheese filling! Soft, fluffy, easy and tastes ahhhh-mazing!!
Table of Contents
This cream cheese banana bread is soft and moist, and the cream cheese filling is like having a layer of cheesecake baked into the moist banana bread. No complaints here!
It’s an easy, no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes.
The big river of cream cheese is a thick, bold, unmistakeable layer. It really makes this bread out of this world.
Love Cream Cheese-Filled Desserts?
If you love this cream cheese-filled banana bread, then you’ll definitely love my Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread as well!
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.
This banana cream cheese bread 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 over the years, 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!
Ingredients Needed
After taking a bite of this banana bread, you’ll regret to having made a loaf using cream cheese sooner!
For the banana bread:
- Egg
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Coconut oil
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Ripe bananas
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
For the cream cheese filling:
- Egg
- Softened cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Cream Cheese Banana Bread
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.
- Make the batter: 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.
- Make the cream cheese filling: Stir together the ingredients for the 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.
Baking Tip
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.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, you need to use brick-style cream cheese (not the whipped kind in a plastic tub). I used full-fat cream cheese, but lite cream cheese will also work so long as it’s the type that comes in a brick. 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.
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 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.
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.
For the best tasting cream cheese banana bread, you’ll want to use really ripe bananas that have plenty of black spots on them.
Tips for Making This Recipe
Measuring the mashed banana: 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.
Mixing the batter: 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.
Baking times: 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.
Storage Instructions
Room temp: Store the banana cream cheese bread in an airtight container for up to 1 week on your counter.
Freezer: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge.
Video Tutorial
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Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup liquid-state coconut oil, (canola or vegetable may be substituted)
- ¼ cup cup sour cream, lite is okay (Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, (about 2 large bananas)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, (optional)
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces brick-style cream cheese, softened (lite is okay)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- 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
- In a large bowl, add the egg, sugars, coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the bananas and stir to incorporate.
- 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.
- 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
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients and whisk to combine. Alternatively, mix with a hand mixer.
- Evenly pour filling mixture over the bread, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.
- 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.
- 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.*
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this today. It was delicious!!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I am getting ready to make this banana bread w/cream cheese for the 3rd time…..it is SO SO SO GOOD…very moist and love the cream cheese added in the cake instead of spreading it on the finished bread…LOVE IT !
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you love it so much!
hi, can i use
spelt flour instead of all purpose flour?
thank u.
I would say probably not since it has very little gluten and the loaf will not rise well.
Hey, I made this banana bread last night only I added cinnamon and pecans to the batter and then made a browned- butter glaze to serve over it. I messed up when I ran out of batter to cover the cream cheese filling so I ended up making another half batch of batter but then I was using larger bread pan so it all worked out perfectly ;) A great recipe- moist and flavorful and not overly sweet. My family was gushing over it this morning! Thank you so much for posting!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Great thinking to make another half batch of batter for the top layer since your pan was bigger. Glad your family is gushing about it!
Hi, I love the cream cheese filling. Can I substitute it for Natural yogurt?
Thanks.
I wouldn’t because I think it will be too runny.
Hi Averie! I’m so happy I found this site – I’m making this right now as a matter of fact.
I have two questions – does the cream cheese filling taste like a cheesecake? Have you, or any of your readers ever made it to taste more like a cream cheese frosting? I would think it would need confectioners sugar instead of granulated? hmmm – I’ll try it and let you know unless you know already!
And i’m also going to be making this gluten free (God how I miss gluten!). I found a great flour recipe called “Cup4Cup”. If you have any experience with this – please post it!!! Thanks so much !!!
More like cheesecake. To make more like frosting, you would have to add much more sugar and then under heat in the oven it would melt and turn into a mess.
Enjoy!
I was thinking the same thing. Thank you and I will let you know how it comes out.
I don’t have sour cream on hand. Do you think this will be ok of I skipped it and added more coconut oil?
No, I wouldn’t. Adding more oil will thin out the batter I think. I would wait to make until you have all the necessary ingredients.
This is delicious! I followed the recipe to the T, used nonfat plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream. The only thing I did slightly different was instead of layer the cream cheese in there, I decided to take a gamble and swirl it all together. It turned out perfectly after 48 minutes or so in the oven.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! Glad the swirling worked too!
I have been eyeing a few recipes with cream cheese for the past few weeks. Your photos are telling me this is the one! Can’t wait to try it. Pinned it and will be making it this week. I have three bags of frozen bananas in the freezer. It’s perfect!
Thanks for pinning and hope you enjoy!
I WAS DISSAPOINTED IN THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING IN THIS BREAD. IT DIDN’T ADD ANYTHING SPECIAL AND HAD NO PARTICULAR FLAVOR. HOWEVER THE BREAD ITSELF WAS AS GOOD AS I HAVE EVER EATEN AND REPLACED THE RECIPE THAT I HAD ALWAYS USED WITH THIS ONE. IT IS VERY MOIST AND DENSE. THE SALT NEEDS TO BE AT LEAST A 1/8 TSP OR IT TENDS TO BE A LITTLE BLAND.
JERRY
I don’t use salt at all…but I’ve added chocolate chips to mine and chopped walnuts… just an all around great bread with a nice cup of Java…
Wonderful!
KAREN, SORRY, SLIP OF THE FINGERS.
HERE IS THE CONVERSION CHART.
https://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/measures.cfm
I have a banana (NUT) cream cheese filled banana bread in the oven as I’m leaving a comment. Yes, I doubled the recipe and added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. I love any kind of nuts in baking. I actually baked it in a bundt pan. Leaving it in for 5-10 mins. longer. I’m gonna watch it very carefully as to not overcook. Karen, I have attached a conversion chart for you. Good luck.
could you put ingredients into grams please
There are online calculator tools to help you with that.
Absolutely delicious! easy to follow recipe. I used coconut oil. Added crushed walnuts to banana batter and covered top with poppy seeds . New favorite for sure.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I loved this banana bread. I am already planning on making it again…one week later! The bread was very moist and the banana flavor was perfect. Like you said, the baking time really varied but I just kept checking. I will be investing in a new pan since this will be a repeat favorite.
So glad this is a repeat favorite for you!
Hey, I recently made this and it was great. However, my cream cheese layer kinda floated to the top and wasn’t really in the middle. Any thoughts?
You may want to try adding a bit less batter going down first into the pan, then adding the cream cheese layer, and then the batter you do have left to top it with will be in greater quantity and should likely weigh the cream cheese down more.