Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread — 🍌🍞🎉 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 and it’ll be your new FAVORITE banana bread recipe! A total winner that will impress your friends and family!
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. This is the exact pan I use!
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
Equipment
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.
Video
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!
I’ve just made this for the first time and it smells delicious, cant wait to try it! Just a quick question though, I’ve baked this to for a pot luck tomorrow night, and the comments I’ve read say to have it warm, so, how long and how hot should I put it in the oven so that its ready for last course?
Thanks for the 5 star review! Honestly I have never put it back in the oven to re-warm it and I don’t think the majority of people do so either. I would just serve it as-is so you don’t run the risk of drying it out.
I’m a chef at a sorority house at a major university. I make this for my girls and they are crazy about it. Best Banana Bread recipe I’ve found.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is a hit with the girls! I only wish in my time in my sorority house that I had a chef making banana bread for me…wow, your girls are lucky :)
I found our go-to banana bread recipe!!! This is just so so so darn tasty 😋
My little kiddo is allergic to milk so we made this without the cream cheese filling and used a dairy-free sour cream (tofutti is the brand). I was a bit nervous with my substitutions, but it still came out oh so tasty!!! Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is your new go-to recipe and that you were able to make it DF!
I’ve been making this recipe for my family for a year or so – it’s become a favorite and is requested all the time. Amazing! Today, we doubled the recipe and turned it into a cake… baking time was tricky but we’re excited to try it!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this has become a family favorite! I’m sure the cake was great too!
How long did you bake it as a cake instead of using loaf pans?
This is flat out the world’s greatest banana bread recipe. Every time I have a party for work people beg me to bring them banana bread! Coworkers literally bring me their old bananas in hopes I’ll whip them up a loaf. And you seriously can’t mess it up! I accidentally added almond extract to it last time and just rolled with it and it was just as delicious as ever. Add cinnamon if you like. Sprinkle almonds on top. Try mixing walnuts in. I’ve tried all sorts of adaptations and they’re all amazing, but as written it is amazing. Eat it warm!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you think it’s the world’s greatest banana bread recipe!
Recipe was excellent!
I modded by adding some fresh lemon juice (to taste, probably around ~1tbsp) and a handful of fresh blueberries to the cream cheese layer. The end result was divine and made for a perfect summer treat!
Thanks for the 5 star review and your ideas sound delicious!
hello Averie, very excited to try this recipe tonight. I was wondering what do you think of using Buckwheat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Use AP flour or it will not turn out properly.
Can store-bought softened cream cheese be used?
You want to buy brick-style cream cheese and then soften it at room temp before using.
I loved this recipe! Easy to make and tastes wonderful. I used 2 eggs instead of one large because I can never find them. They say large but they’re not. I also used 3 bananas. It cooked for about 50 minutes and it’s perfect. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it turned out great for you!
Made it today in tropical Singapore. I baked it @ 180 degrees celsius for 30 min and left to stand in oven for another 10 min (off heat).
It made only one loaf and a tiny one.
So good.
Amazing banana bread recipe, I made it exactly as you showed but added walnuts and the mixed flavors of the cream cheese, banana and walnuts was out of this world. Thank you Averie!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this bread!
This recipe is one of the best I have made. I didn’t have brown sugar so I added 2 TBS of molasses to granulated sugar. The bread came out darker but beautiful and very moist. I didn’t have enough batter to cover the cream cheese mixture so it came out marbled. It didn’t matter. I made strawberry butter with macerated strawberries and unsalted butter. I blended with a hand mixer. I took this to a house warming and it was a big hit. I will add this to my favorite recipe list.
Thanks for LMK it is one of the best you have made! The strawberry butter sounds lovely with it. Thanks for the 5 star review!
The strawberry butter idea was yours in your suggestions. I macerated fresh strawberries, drained off the liquid and just blended with butter with a hand blender. It turned out perfect. I should have taken a photo of it. It all was so pretty and the ladies requested your recipe. Said they do a lot bake fundraisers and this would be a great recipe for that. I have forwarded it on. Thank you so much for providing the delicious recipes. Looking forward to trying more!
Sometimes I even forget what I suggest, so many recipes…lol. Glad it came out great and that you will be trying more recipes!
Perfect Simple Recipe, Delicious, Party Favorite
Glad you love it!
I make banana bread often but had never tried it with cream cheese. It was delicious and easy. And it baked well even after I put most of the batter on the bottom and couldn’t cover all of the cream cheese layer. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love this twist on banana bread!
This recipe was amazing! Super easy to make, using normal ingredients that a typical pantry would have, and clear, useful instructions. My kitchen wasn’t a disaster from using 19 different bowls/tools to make this! Best banana bread I have ever made! I have even printed this recipe out and put it in my recipe album. Thank-you so much sharing this!
Glad it was a major success and thanks for the 5 star review! And I try to keep the amount of tools, bowls, etc. one needs to a bare minimum in my recipes. Glad you appreciated that fact!
Awesome recipe for cream cheese filled banana bread found on Pinterest.
Thanks for the 5 star rating and glad you loved it!