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:
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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!
About the coconut oil, I usually cook with it and should have known better, but for those who don’t know – everything (egg, sour cream or yogurt) needs to be at room temperature, or else as soon as you add the coconut oil, it will start to harden and get chunky!
I misread the ingredients! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Hello Averie!
I am excited to try this recipe. What kind of bread is needed to use in the recipe?
Hi,
I want to try this but I really just want to use my own bread recipe with your cream cheese recipe. Do you think it will still work?
Haven’t tried your bread recipe and so it’s hard to say but why don’t you just make my recipe as written, once. And then if you think after tasting it your bread recipe is better and that you think it would work better, then use that the next time you make it.
Has anyone substitured the flour for glutenfree flour?
I baked this today and it was absolutely divine! I’ve tried many variations of banana bread and have to say this is now one of my favorites. I had only whipped cream cheese on hand so that’s what I used. Next time, I would add some walnuts though. Thanks for the recipe!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And glad the whipped cream cheese worked fine!
Just googled this. Plan on trying it this weekend. Hopefully this substitution works :)
“When substituting coconut flour for all purpose or whole wheat flour, use the same amount of flour but add 1 extra egg (on top of what’s called for in the recipe) for every ounce of coconut flour. On average, 1/4 cup of coconut flour is equal to 1 ounce.
For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of all purpose flour and 2 eggs, use 1 cup of coconut flour and 6 eggs. This ratio of flour to eggs might seem crazy, but trust us, the coconut flour will absorb it up. As you’re experimenting with alternative flours, consider mixing coconut flour into the rotation.”
I was analyzing your recipe, and do a little brainstorming at the same time. I do not see why you would not be able to inject the cream cheese into the bread like they do a donut shops. Warm it up and inject away.
Most people don’t have injection tools laying around their kitchen. But if you do, it would be an interesting experiment.
I had cream cheese about to expire and a few overly ripe bananas that I needed to use up. I found this recipe and it was just the ticket. Unfortunately, I could barely taste any cream cheese in the filling layer. I will make again, but next time I’ll definitely add another few ounces of cream cheese. Just an fyi for any other readers who want the cream cheese layer to really shine. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came in handy for you and yes by all means, add more cream cheese if you want it more pronounced – sounds great to me!
For the second time now I’m making this recipe in the form of muffins and it works great! The only thing that needed adjustment was that I simply needed a bit larger amount of cream cheese filling and therefore added another ounce to the mixture.
So
I filled each of the 12 baking cups with one tablespoon of the bread mixture. Then I added one tablespoon of the cream cheese filling on top of each cup. Finally, I topped that with one tablespoon of the bread mixture and baked it for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Thank you for sharing this wonderful and tasty recipe!
So glad the recipe has been coming out great as muffins and all you need to do is beef up the filling mixture a little! Thanks for the field report as many have asked if it’s possible to make the recipe as muffins.
Hi, just a quick question. I want to make these into mini loaves. How long would i put it in the oven for if i were to use mini loaf trays ?? And would i fill the batter up 3/4 way as well ?? Thanks :)
This is a trickier recipe to make as mini loaves because you have a layer of batter-filling-batter and while not impossible to do, it’ll be much more ‘fussy’ than as one big loaf. I haven’t personally tried it as mini loaves so can’t answer your questions based on experience.
This banana bread looks a work of art. Thanks for these lovely photos.
I wonder … has anyone tried to use a different flour? Maybe coconut flour?
Coconut flour is NOT like regular all-purpose flour, at all. A little goes a long way and I don’t recommend using it in this recipe UNLESS you have a very good knowledge of how it works, how you normally sub for it with AP, and in what ratios. You cannot simply use all coconut flour; it has to be used with another flour. I would try the recipe as written and then tweak from there once you get a feel for it.
This looks a-mazing!
I was just wondering though, can I replace greek yogurt/sour cream with regular yogurt? I REALLY want to make this but I don’t have either of those things!
Regular yogurt is much thinner and it could water the batter down a little bit so you may have to make other game-time adjustments that I can’t predict.
I used homemade butter and buttermilk I needed to finish off in this instead of coconut oil and sour cream. It came out very moist and sweet, which I am quite fond of. Thanks for sharing. This is a nomnom for the tumtum kind of recipe.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Do you think it be possible to sub regular flour for gluten free flour?? Thanks!
If you’re used to taking regular AP-flour recipes and converting them to GF, and have a GF flour or blend you use, and know your way around the regular flour to GF flour conversion situation in a general sense, then yes.
But if this is all a first-time situation for you, then it’s probably possible, but I haven’t tried it and you’ll need to experiment with things. Good luck!