This cream cheese banana bread is soft, fluffy and perfectly delicious! The cream cheese swirl is creamy and tastes like vanilla cheesecake. This easy quick bread is great for breakfast and dessert!

Cream cheese banana bread.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • This cream cheese banana bread has the best texture.
  • It is soft and fluffy.
  • Both kids and adults love this recipe.
  • It is the best mix between banana bread and cheesecake.
  • You will also love these Cream Cheese Cookies!
  • The cream cheese filling is gooey and creamy.
  • This banana bread is moist.
  • It is made with mostly pantry staple ingredients.
  • This recipe can be easily made gluten free and dairy free. It is naturally nut free.
  • Check out this Dairy Free Banana Bread for another great recipe!

Ingredients & Substitutions

These are the main ingredients and substitutions for cream cheese banana bread. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.

Melted butter adds moisture to the banana bread. For dairy free, substitute with melted coconut oil.

Pure maple syrup sweetens the bread. Feel free to use honey instead. Try this Healthy Banana Bread which uses coconut sugar.

For best flavor, use ripe bananas. They contain more natural sweetness and they mash easily. About 2 large bananas is sufficient for the 1 ¼ cups mashed bananas.

Use any type of milk. To keep this dairy free, use dairy free milk.

Eggs are used in both the bread and the cream cheese swirl. There is no substitute for eggs in this recipe. They are mandatory. Check out this Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!

Vanilla extract adds a delicious homemade taste.

Flour is used in both the bread and swirl. Both gluten free 1 to 1 flour and all purpose flour work well. For this recipe, I used gluten free flour. No other flours will work.

Baking soda helps this bread rise while baking.

For the swirl, use white sugar. This allows the swirl to remain light in color.

Use softened cream cheese. Do not use cold cream cheese. Use a stand mixer to beat the cream cheese swirl ingredients together. Beat until no clumps of cream cheese remain.

Ingredients for bread.

Cream Cheese Swirl

The cream cheese swirl is smooth and creamy! It tastes like vanilla cheesecake.

For best results, beat the cream cheese swirl ingredients together in a stand mixer. This usually takes at least 30 seconds. Beat until cream cheese is completely creamed and no longer clumpy.

Alternate dollops of cream cheese mixture and banana bread batter. Then swirl together. This does not have to be perfect!

Taste & Texture

This cream cheese banana bread is sweet. It tastes like classic banana bread mixed with vanilla cheesecake.

The texture is soft and fluffy. The filling becomes creamy and gooey in the oven.

How to Make

Step 1

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, make banana bread batter. Add melted butter, maple syrup, mashed bananas, milk, eggs and vanilla. Stir to combine.

Mashed bananas and coconut oil in bowl.

Step 3

Then, add in flour and baking soda. Stir until combined. Set aside.

Bowl of quick bread batter.

Step 4

To make the cream cheese filling, add all ingredients to a stand mixer. Beat until completely smooth and creamy.

Bowl of cream filling.

Step 5

Add half the banana bread batter to the lined loaf pan.

Banana bread in loaf pan.

Step 6

Then, drop alternating dollops of banana bread batter and cream cheese filling on top.

Raw cheesecake banana bread.

Step 7

Use a knife to swirl these dollops together.

Cream cheese swirl bread.

Step 8

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Baked cream cheese bread.

Step 9

Finally, remove from oven. Allow the bread to fully cool before slicing into.

Expert Tips & Tricks

Carefully measure all ingredients.

Use either gluten free 1 to 1 flour or all purpose flour. Both work well.

Use ripe bananas for the best flavor.

Banana bread batter will be somewhat thick.

Use softened cream cheese. Cold cream cheese will not beat well.

Alternate dollops of cream cheese filling and banana bread batter. Then swirl together with a knife.

Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow bread to fully cool before slicing into.

Gooey banana bread.

How to Serve & Store

Serve cream cheese banana bread once cooled.

Serve with a tall glass of milk, hot cup of coffee or smoothie.

This bread is great with a little chocolate drizzle or smear of peanut butter!

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

This bread freezes well if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which type of cream cheese should I use?

Use a block of softened cream cheese. For dairy free, use dairy free cream cheese.

Does it need to be refrigerated once baked?

This banana bread does not have to be refrigerated.

Can I freeze this bread?

Yes!

How do you know when banana bread is done?

Insert a toothpick into the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If it comes out gooey, continue baking.

Stack of cream cheese bread.

You May Also Like

If you make this cream cheese banana bread recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along!  For more ideas, check out these Breakfast Recipes.

Cream cheese banana bread.
At a Glance:
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Banana Bread

This cream cheese banana bread is soft, fluffy and delicious! The cream cheese swirl is creamy and gooey. This easy banana bread is great for breakfast, snacks or dessert!
5 from 12 votes
US Customary – Metric
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Ingredients

8 slices

Banana Bread

Cream Cheese Swirl

  • 2 tbsp flour, gluten free or all purpose flour
  • 4 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 5 ounces softened cream cheese

Instructions 

  • First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • In a mixing bowl, make banana bread batter. Add melted butter, maple syrup, mashed bananas, milk, eggs and vanilla. Stir to combine.
  • Then add in flour and baking soda. Stir until combined. Set aside.
  • To make the cream cheese filling, add all ingredients to a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy.
  • Add half the banana bread batter to the lined loaf pan.
  • Then, drop alternating dollops of banana bread batter and cream cheese filling on top.
  • Use a knife to swirl these dollops together.
  • Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Finally, remove from oven. Allow bread to fully cool before slicing into.

Notes

  • I used gluten free 1 to 1 flour for this recipe.
  • This recipe can be easily made dairy free.  Use melted coconut oil instead of butter, dairy free milk, and dairy free cream cheese.
  • The banana bread batter will be somewhat thick.
  • Use softened cream cheese, not cold.  Beat the cream cheese filling mixture until no clumps of cream cheese remain.
  • The dollops of banana bread batter and cream cheese filling do not have to be perfect!  They will be swirled together anyway.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Allow bread to fully cool before slicing and serving.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  • This bread freezes well.
Calories: 326kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 286mg, Potassium: 265mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 443IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 2mg
Author: Addison LaBonte
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

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