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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More Easy Banana Bread Recipes:
ALL OF MY BANANA BREAD RECIPES!
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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.
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!
Carrot Banana Bread — EASY, no-mixer, super soft banana carrot bread that reminds me of carrot cake but healthier!! Great Easter brunch idea or spring baked good!
I do not have a 9×5 pan, can a 8×4 pan be used? If so do I have to cook it for less time? say 35-40 mins?
I think this loaf will be too large for an 8×4 but you can try. Likely you will need to cook for a bit more time but I am just guessing.
It was so good. I made it in the evening by the next morning it was gone!!!!! :)
Glad to hear it was a hit!
Hi Averie! Can this be made into a muffin?
Yes I’m sure it can but I haven’t personally tried it.
Hmmm…ill try it then soon! Im just a bit afraid that the bread will stick to the muffin liner
Good luck!
Hi Averie, thank you for this recipe, the cream cheese layer is magical!
I just thought I”d let you know that there’s a Buzzfeed post with your recipe on it that doesn’t credit you. The photos aren’t yours, but the recipe is. Just letting you know in case you want to get them to take it down!
https://www.buzzfeed.com/robertbroadfoot/heres-what-happens-when-cream-cheese-meets-banana-bread?utm_term=.rcN3gbznX#.whPD5rk93
Thanks for the heads up and for taking the time to write! They tend to do this thing quite often which is so frustrating. Glad you love this bread!
I don’t have cream cheese but I have cream cheese frosting. Do you think it’d be good with that in the center?!?
No it will melt into a literally hot mess. I recommend using actual cream cheese.
honestly probably the most moist banana bread i have ever tried!!! we loved it so much; it basically melts in your mouth. i followed your recipe exactly, however, my cream cheese layer did not turn out as fluffy and we couldn’t really taste it besides being able to see it. the whole loaf came out of the oven pretty domed and golden, but deflated a little as it cooled. any tips? regardless, ill definitely be making this bread again. who doesn’t love super duper moist bread?;) thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Glad you really enjoyed this super moist banana bread! Regarding falling a bit, sometimes that means you undercooked it just a bit, maybe it needed another 5-10 minutes, hard to say. Also King Arthur flour is my preferred flour for baking because it has slightly more gluten to give things more structure, i.e. insurance against deflation.
I made this last night using King Arthur’s gluten-free flour! It was my only substitution and it turned out amazing!! This 7 months pregnant mama is one happy lady.
Thanks for LMK that the KAF GF flour worked great! That is great news and I will share it with others!
I just made this…terrific! I made them into muffins and they turned out awesome! I also used melted cold pressed coconut oil and vanilla Greek yogurt, taste GREAT!!
I love that you used coconut oil (I love baking with coconut oil, especially banana recipes, something about the two are perfect together!) and glad this came out great as muffins!
I love making this banana bread! If I do it as muffins, do you still bake at 350 degrees for 50 min or would it be less?
Muffins would definitely require less baking time, probably 20-25 mins, just guessing with this recipe. 350F same.
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to make your cream cheese banana bread or the peach mango banana bread so I combined the recipes!! I followed the instructions for the peach mango and added the cream cheese center and put it all in a 9×5 loaf pan.Served it(to myself) with whipped cream.I need a moment….
FANTASTIC!!!!!
OMG that sounds amazing! I can see how that would be killlllller! Good call on following the recipe for the peach-mango-banana and then adding a layer of CC in the middle. I wish I was having that for dinner actually!
I made YOUR banana bread recipe exactly as you shared it. Thank you so much for sharing. My husband LOVES banana bread and just went on and on about how spectacular your recipe was. Btw, as hard as it was to do I gave you the credit for his new favorite treat. He even said it was better than his mama’s… SHHHH. Please keep sharing, I will be trying many more of your recipes. Yummy yummy!!
I’m so glad this was a big hit with your husband and even better than his mom’s. Shhhh ?
The best banana bread recipe ever! I tried it many, many, many times and have gotten so many compliments and request to bake it more often. Even added choclate and berries to the cream cheese batter for a new twist. Was delicious! Can’t wait to try your other recipes! Thank you!
Thanks for LMK that this is the BEST banana bread recipe you’ve ever tried and that you’ve made it a ton of times! Glad it always a hit! The chocolate and berry twist sounds lovely! LMK what else you end up trying of mine.
Oh my goodness it looks amazing. Adding a cinnamon sugar crust is my favorite thing to do with quick bread!
The BEST Banana Loaf ever :)
I’m so glad I came across this recipe.
Made 2 loaves (on hind sight I thought that was me being a bit over confident, as it was my 1st time attempt at making it)
WOW!!!!! it turned out AWESOME … so happy :)
Shared 1 loaf with my neighbor…. and I kept getting quite a few thank you messages … guess every time someone ate a slice, my mobile beeped ?
A BIG Thank you Averie … yours is the BEST recipe for a Banana Loaf (with a yummy twist :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad you phone was beeping like crazy from the compliments :)
The nutrition info lists 188 g carbs per serving. How is that even possible–Is the info listed for the entire bread?
Yes that’s the whole loaf. Divide it by the number of slices you yield.
Help! I just put these in the oven and even the batter smells amazing! But I didn’t save enough to fully cover the top its a loose mix of the cream cheese mixture and the banana bread mixture. Will it still turn out okay just not as ascetically pleasing?
Yes to your last sentence but I’m sure the taste is fine.
Can I use the solid coconut oil and then melt it or do I need to use the coconut oil that’s already liquified?
Get the coconut oil in a liquid state, however you wish to accomplish that, and then measure it out from there.
Is it really 1100+ calories per serving???? That seems a lot even with the cream cheese filling….
No I’m sure there is a glitch that the software doesn’t know how to calculate one loaf from one piece.