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!
Getting ready to make it today. Is 350 degrees for a glass baking pan or should the temperature be lowered to 325?
Not sure, I only have ever made it in a metal pan. I think 350F is fine but that’s just my untested opinion.
The best banana bread with cream cheese ever. I give it 5 ⭐️
The best banana bread with cream cheese ever. I give it 5 ⭐️
Thank you and glad it’s the best banana bread ever for you!
I’m taking this list to the grocery store, can’t wait!
Hi. If I want to bake this in a square 8×8 pan, what temp and how long should I bake it for?
350F but I am unsure of the baking time since I’ve never tried it that way personally.
I just cooked a glass bread pan & a square glass pan . Time was same for both to finish.
PS: I just has my first piece & it was Delicious & definitely a keeper. They won’t last long I’m this household!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad this won’t last long in your house!
I never was very excited about banana bread…until I tried your recipe. OMG, it is THE best banana bread I have ever tasted, bar none. Sooooo moist!
I made it with regular vegetable oil, and added chocolate chips. People raved about it. It was devoured in minutes!!
The second time I made it, I adapted it to make muffins, and then put chocolate ganache on top. Absolutely decadent.
Thank you SO much for posting this recipe!
I never was very excited about banana bread…until I tried your recipe. OMG, it is THE best banana bread I have ever tasted, bar none. Sooooo moist!
I made it with regular vegetable oil, and added chocolate chips. People raved about it. It was devoured in minutes!!
The second time I made it, I adapted it to make muffins, and then put chocolate ganache on top. Absolutely decadent.
Thank you SO much for posting this recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and this is the best banana bread recipe you’ve tried and you’re excited about banana bread now!
I bet your muffins with chocolate ganache on top were to-die-for as well! Great idea!
I’ve tried a lot of different recipes of banana bread, this one is the best!! What a great idea of adding cream cheese filing!
Made it in a 9 inch cake pan and it took about 35 minutes since it was not as tall.
I’ve tried a lot of different recipes of banana bread, this one is the best!! What a great idea of adding cream cheese filing!
Made it in a 9 inch cake pan and it took about 35 minutes since it was not as tall.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was the best of all the banana bread recipes you’ve tried! Great to hear that you were able to do it in a 9-inch cake pan and it baked in 35 mins!
I will give this a 5, easy and coupled with the honey butter . I like the idea of freezing for a later date .
I will give this a 5, easy and coupled with the honey butter . I like the idea of freezing for a later date .
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you enjoyed it!
Have made this several times so far and it is always a crowdpleaser. Delicious and easy. Love to add chocolate chips and walnuts!
Have made this several times so far and it is always a crowdpleaser. Delicious and easy. Love to add chocolate chips and walnuts!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s always a crowdpleaser!
We loved it! I had trouble getting it to rise. But it was still yummy!
We loved it! I had trouble getting it to rise. But it was still yummy!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was yummy!
Do you use solid coconut oil that is melted or liquid coconut oil? My store has both. Thank you! I look forward to your reply!
You want it melted/liquid-state but over about 75F most coconut oil (solid) will liquify. You can Google this but I am just going from memory based on when my kitchen is warm vs. when it’s not.