Cream Cheese Banana Bread

by Katrina Bahl

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Learn how to make a decadent and moist cream cheese banana bread filled with a delicious cream cheese swirl. This recipe is sure to become a family favorite! This is a sponsored recipe on behalf of the American Dairy Association Mideast.

A slice of banana bread stacked on top of three wooden plates garnished with slices of banana. Text reads "Cream Cheese Banana Bread."

You’ll Love This Banana Bread with Creamy Cheesecake Filling

Many people love homemade banana bread and have a family favorite recipe. This quick bread recipe can be whipped up in 10-15 minutes with only a whisk and an electric mixer.

Our cream cheese banana bread recipe has a layer of creamy cheesecake filling baked into the center of the loaf, and the cream cheese layer is certainly a sweet surprise when you cut into it! The texture is thick and chewy with a crusty edge and a soft, moist center.

Ripe bananas sit side a baked and sliced open loaf of banana bread with cream cheese swirls on top of a wooden cutting board.

How to Make Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Begin by mashing up 2-3 ripe bananas, equalling in measurement to 1 cup. Set aside, and then prepare your cream cheese filling. Finally, you’ll prepare the banana bread batter and add in the mashed bananas.

A loaf of banana bread sits on a wooden cutting board with slices of banana bread and ripe bananas beside it on wooden plates.

The banana bread mixture uses Greek yogurt, yielding a soft, tender loaf of bread. You could swap this out for sour cream as a substitution. We use plain Greek yogurt because it is high in protein. Six ounces of Greek yogurt typically contains 14-17 grams of protein! Yogurt has nine essential nutrients including protein, calcium, Vitamin B12, and iodine.

Cream cheese adds richness, tenderness, and moisture to bread dough and other baked goods. Cooking with dairy is also an easy way to add calcium and other essential nutrients.

Close-up shot of Cream Cheese Banana Bread layers baked

Banana Bread Baking Tips

BAKE at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. LOWER the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 30 more minutes. Starting the baking time at a higher temperature will help the bread batter rise quickly and decrease the chances of the cream cheese filling sinking to the bottom of the loaf. Lower the temperature after 20 minutes without opening the oven door. Turn on your internal oven light if you can’t resist taking a look!
Using a light, non-stick metal or glass loaf pan is preferable. Dark loaf pans may burn your banana bread. Use aluminum foil to tent the top of the loaf if it is getting too dark too quickly.
A toothpick inserted in the center may not come out clean, indicating a fully baked loaf due to the cream cheese layer. The top should look fully baked and have no jiggle to it. Add a few minutes at a time if needed until fully baked.

Prevent a Soggy Loaf

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack. This will ensure that the cream cheese layer is set up fully. Cooling the rest of the time on a wire rack will allow trapped moisture to escape and will prevent your loaf from being soggy.

A loaf of banana bread sits on a wooden cutting board with slices of banana bread beside it on wooden plates.

Storage

This banana bread does not need to be stored in the refrigerator since the cream cheese is baked into the loaf. Wrap in foil or store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Wrap in plastic wrap and foil to freeze for up to three months.

A slice of banana bread stacked on top of three wooden plates garnished with slices of banana.