This Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread is soft and moist, made with ripe bananas, a touch of honey, with a ribbon of cinnamon sugar baked right through the middle. The batter comes together in one bowl with no butter, takes 15 minutes to prep, and is beginner-friendly enough for a first loaf. If my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is already on repeat at your house, this is its cozier cousin.
Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread At A Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour (15 min prep + 45 min bake)
- 👥 Servings: 8
- 🍽️ Cuisine Type: American
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Sweet ripe banana and mellow honey with warm cinnamon, plus a ribbon of cinnamon sugar through the center
- 📖 Dietary Info: Dairy-free and pareve as written (oil, no butter or milk). Contains eggs and gluten (all-purpose flour).
- 📦 Storage Notes: Keep at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A one-bowl quick bread that looks bakery-style when you slice it, with a cinnamon swirl in every piece
Save And Summarize This Recipe
Ripe bananas are one of my favorite baking shortcuts. They bring sweetness and moisture with zero effort. When the bunch on your counter is spotty again, my Banana Pumpkin Muffins put them to work in grab-and-go form. For a loaf with more tang, my Cranberry Quick Bread gets a bright orange glaze. And if a crumb topping is your weakness, the Blueberry Muffins deliver.
Jump to:
Banana bread is the friendliest thing on a brunch table. It plays the sweet role while the egg dishes do the heavy lifting. Pair a few slices with a make-ahead French Toast Casserole for a cozy holiday morning. If you're setting out a Yom Kippur break-the-fast, a Lox Frittata or a Spinach and Egg Casserole rounds out the spread. Your guests will think you were up at dawn.
Key Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this banana cinnamon swirled bread:
- Ripe Bananas - Bananas are the base of this bread: the moisture, the body, and most of the sweetness. Look for peels with plenty of brown spots. I like mine medium to well ripe because they're sweeter and mash into a smoother batter. A pale yellow banana will give you a more bland, starchier loaf. Banana bread is where spotty bananas get their glow-up.
- Honey - Honey works alongside the sugar in the batter. It adds a mellow, floral sweetness that rounds out the cinnamon and banana. Honey is one of the oldest sweeteners in Mediterranean kitchens, and it's a staple in mine. It's the same golden finish I love drizzled over Ricotta with Thyme. Any everyday liquid honey works here.
- Avocado Oil - Oil is what keeps this bread moist for days, and it's why the recipe needs no butter. That also makes it dairy-free and pareve as written. I use avocado oil because it's neutral: it stays out of the way so the banana and cinnamon can lead. Any neutral oil works.
- Cinnamon - Cinnamon shows up twice. Half a teaspoon goes into the batter, so every bite tastes warm and spiced, not just the swirl. A tablespoon mixed with sugar becomes the ribbon through the center. Cinnamon is woven through Mediterranean baking, from Greek and Moroccan pastries to Middle Eastern holiday sweets. It's right at home here.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Do You Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from A Sweet Thyme
Variations
- Nuts - Fold pecans, walnuts, or almonds into the batter for a little crunch against the soft crumb. For extra cinnamon flavor, chop up a handful of my cinnamon almonds and use those.
- Chocolate Chips - I haven't tested this version, but a handful of chips is a natural match for banana and cinnamon. Dark chocolate keeps it from tipping too sweet.
- Dried Cranberries or Raisins - A handful adds chewy, tart pops of fruit and a seasonal feel for the holidays.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - Swap the cinnamon in the batter and the swirl for pumpkin pie spice for a fall twist.
- Cream Cheese Frosting - A thin layer of sweetened cream cheese frosting on the cooled loaf turns it into dessert. Note that this makes the bread no longer dairy-free.
How To Make Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread: Step-By-Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients are in the printable recipe card:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas, add eggs, oil, sugar, and honey. Mix until well combined.
Step 2: Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon to the bowl. Mix until the batter is smooth.
Step 3: In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.
Pour about half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with a generous portion of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Add the remaining batter on top and sprinkle again with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Use a knife to gently swirl the batter creating a marbling effect. Sprinkle any remaining sugar on top of the loaf.
Step 4: Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- Wait for brown spots - Medium to well ripe bananas make a sweeter, smoother loaf. If your bananas are still yellow, give them a few more days.
- Stop mixing at "no flour streaks." - Overmixing is the most common reason banana bread turns out dense. A few small lumps are fine.
- Trust the toothpick, then the cooling time - Test the center, not the edge. The 10 minutes in the pan help the loaf set so it slices cleanly instead of crumbling.
Gwen's Pro Tip
Use a light hand with the swirl. The cinnamon sugar goes between two layers of batter so the ribbon bakes into the center instead of sinking or sitting on top. A few gentle passes with the knife give you that marbled look. Swirl too much and the cinnamon blends into the batter, and you lose the ribbon.
Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread FAQ's
Cinnamon adds warmth that balances the sweetness of the bananas and honey. In this recipe it does two jobs: a little in the batter spices every bite, and the cinnamon-sugar swirl adds a sweeter, more concentrated ribbon through the center.
Look for plenty of brown spots on the peel. I like them medium to well ripe, because they're sweeter and mash more smoothly into the batter.
Overmixing. Once the flour goes in, stir only until no dry streaks remain. Beating the batter makes the bread dense instead of tender.
I haven't tested this recipe with almond flour, so I recommend sticking with all-purpose flour. Almond flour behaves very differently from wheat flour, and swapping it in one-for-one can change both the rise and the texture.
More Bread and Muffins
Let me know your thoughts on this Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, or Pinterest!
Thank you!
Gwen
Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
Do You Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from A Sweet Thyme
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 3 bananas mashed
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup oil neutral oil like avocado, olive, sunflower, etc
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Inside Swirl
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line an 8x4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together mashed bananas, eggs, neutral oil, sugar, and honey until well combined.3 bananas, 2 eggs, ⅓ cup oil, ⅓ cup sugar, ⅓ cup honey
- Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon directly into the same bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth and there are no lumps of flour.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- In a small bowl, mix ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon for the swirl.½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Pour roughly half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle generously with about half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Add the remaining batter on top and sprinkle again with what is left of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Use a knife to gently swirl through the batter to create a marbled effect.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lisa Pagano says
Excellent recipe!
I made the banana cinnamon bread for a church social, and it was enjoyed by everyone.
Gwen Wolken says
That's nice to hear! Thanks.
Gwen Wolken says
You will love this cinnamon bread!!!!