Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread Fit for a King
I’m really excited about this banana bread recipe! I love how it looks as much as how it tastes. It would be so pretty for a Mother’s Day brunch or as a gift or for overnight company to go with an egg dish. I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t like banana bread, and this one is extra special because of the cream cheese layer baked right in.
I really didn’t have a banana bread recipe so when I wanted to make it one day, I looked through my folder of bread recipes. I found a recipe from my great-grandmother (Mimi) that I didn’t even know I had! I was so excited to find it, and it was exactly what I was looking for. I also had saved a cream cheese filled banana bread recipe from Averie Cooks. That cream cheese layer just looked so pretty! But I wanted to make the one from my grandmother. So I decided to combine the 2 recipes.
It took a couple of tries as I kept overfilling the pan due to the cream cheese layer. I finally have the proportions figured out now so I am looking forward to having a go to banana bread recipe. Another tricky part was figuring out how long to cook it. If you undercook it, there will be a big hole in the middle of your bread. Guess how I know that? 🙁 And if you overcook it, the edges burn and dry out. And if you over fill your pan, you get to clean your oven when it really wasn’t in your schedule that day! The trials and tribulations of a food blogger! But if you follow these directions, you get a beautiful loaf of banana bread that tastes great!
This recipe works perfectly for a regular glass loaf pan (9x5x2 1/2). Just pay close attention at the end of the cooking time, and make any adjustments for your pan shape and size. My grandmother mentioned in her recipe that she used a cleaned out coffee can to get round slices. I love seeing things like that in old recipes. I would love to try that someday. In the meantime, I am looking forward to banana bread for breakfast. The bonuses and benefits of being a food blogger! 🙂
“Life is so full of a number of things,
I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”
(a poem Mimi used to quote often by Robert Louis Stevenson)
Shari and Mimi – 1984
Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread
For the Banana Bread:
- 2 c sugar
- 3 c flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon (this amount is correct)
- 1 c oil
- 2 beaten large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 3 large mashed bananas (old, brown bananas are better as they are sweeter and add more banana taste to the bread)
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 large egg
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 c sugar
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place all banana bread ingredients into mixing bowl.
- Mix on low until ingredients are incorporated, but don’t overmix.
- In a separate bowl, stir ingredients for cream cheese filling until completely mixed together.
- Spray a loaf pan(9x5x2 1/2) generously with baking spray.
- Place 1 1/2 cups of banana bread batter in the bottom of the pan and spread evenly with a knife.
- Gently pour the cream cheese filling on top of the banana bread batter. Carefully smooth out.
- Pour another 1 1/2 cups of banana bread batter on top of the filling. Gently smooth out top so it is even. You will have batter left. I made a mini loaf with it. Other times I have made a few banana muffins with the leftover batter.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Then place foil loosely over top of banana bread so it doesn’t burn. Cook 15-20 more minutes (mine took 20, but you might want to check it at 15) or until toothpick inserted in center is clean.
- Let cool in pan for 30-60 minutes. Then take bread out of pan and let cool the rest of the way on a wire rack. Place on cutting board to slice when ready to serve. Keep in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freezes well.
Banana Bread recipe from Cook AZ I Do, originally made by my great grandmother, Mimi. Cream Cheese Filling recipe from Averie Cooks.
Shari
My name is Shari, and I am an Arizona native and married mother of 3 who loves to cook and bake and figure out how to garden successfully in our suburban home in the desert. On this blog you will find a combination of savory and sweet recipes that have been tested by me, along with many tips to help you be successful. I hope you enjoy them!
Shari this is one beautiful loaf of bread. I just love how the cream cheese runs so evenly through the bread. How exciting that you found your Grandmothers recipe! They knew how to make great food and did it, at what seems, effortlessly.
Thank you so much, Julie! Coming from you, that means a lot. It was very exciting to find her recipe. She was a good cook. Really, a lot of my family was. I wish I could talk to them about cooking now. I hadn’t discovered my love for it when they were here. But finding a recipe like that makes me feel connected to them in a special way.
Thats a beautiful and delicious loaf Shari, I LOVE recipes that are handed down through the generations and your Grandmothers recipe is amazing. Baking in a coffee can sounds really cool, one day I will have to try that. Love the cream cheese layer.
Thanks a lot, Suzanne! It took some time, but I finally got it figured out. I love recipes that have been handed down, too. I have a lot of my relatives’ recipes, and look forward to trying them. I agree, those round loaves sound really fun. Someday!
Hi Shari, this banana bread looks wonderful, making it this weekend. My grandmother’s name was Mimi too, she was the best baker and cook but never wrote anything down. Take care!
Thanks so much, Cheri! I hope you enjoy it. Let me know how it goes. It can be tricky with the cooking time as it depends on the size of your pan, but I know you are such a good cook it should be no problem. What a coincidence that your grandmother’s name was Mimi, too. How fun!
What a stunning loaf Shari. Your grandmother’s recipe certainly took it one notch up from the plain banana bread. This should be a must in every kitchen, I’ll have to bake it this weekend, as daughter #2 will be visiting 🙂 Loving that cream cheese layer, so striking!
Thank you so much, Loretta! It was really fun stumbling upon my grandmother’s recipe. It took a few tries to get the timing and amount of filling down, but was worth it. I hope you love it if you get a chance to try it!
Shari, one more question…….you say 3 cups flour, would that be all-purpose flour? I just sent the recipe to my daughter, so now I have an order for 2 loaves? One to eat when she’s home, and one to go with her to NYC :)) I may have to lower the sugar content, as I’d like to try it too 🙂 Thanks for this, your pictures are awesome too!
Yes, that is all-purpose flour. I use King Arthur, but probably any would be fine. You might check out Averie Cook’s recipe if you want less sugar, but it has completely different ingredients in it. I’m sure it’s good, too, though. There is a link to it at the bottom of the recipe. If you do use my recipe and change it, just make sure you don’t overfill your pan and watch it to see how long it takes to cook as the time will be different. In this recipe, it makes a huge difference! How fun that your daughter is coming to visit. I hope the banana bread turns out great and you have a wonderful time visiting with your daughter, Loretta!
Shari, I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to read my latest post (you should have received a ping back from me as I referred to your blog). The banana bread was out of this world, the pictures weren’t as wonderful as yours, but we all loved it at home, and I believe all the readers did as well. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much for giving me a heads up, Loretta! I’m not sure how I missed that. It makes me very happy that you and your family enjoyed the banana bread. That just makes my day! I will check out your post!
This looks so yummy with the cream cheese filling! And so nice you were able to use your grandmother’s recipe with this, too!
Thanks a lot, Nancy! I was so happy to be able to use my grandmother’s recipe. Family recipes mean a lot to me. I hope you’re having a good week so far!
Ooh – cream cheese filling! I NEVER would have thought of it. I know a certain husband who would love to try this…
You know, I never cover my banana bread with foil while baking. I might try that next time, just to see the difference.
You’ve got me craving banana bread now!
I covered mine with foil as it needed to cook longer, but I was afraid the edges were going to burn. I just laid it loosely over the top, didn’t tuck it in or anything, and I think it helped. Thanks so much for stopping by, Ruth. I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip to the U.S.!
Thanks for being the test kitchen, Shari! So happy to know I won’t have to clean my oven (or deal with a hole in the center or burnt edges…) after baking a loaf! You’re right…this is one pretty loaf of bread. Adding it to my list of must make recipes…Thanks!
You’re very welcome, Nancy! I hope it turns out great for you. It is a little tricky as everyone has a little bit different loaf pan, but for the size I used, the time in the oven works out perfectly. If your pan is different, just make sure to adjust the amount of batter and the time in your oven and watch it carefully the first time, especially at the end. Thanks for stopping by!
This looks so wonderful, Shari. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks a lot, Teresa! I hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to try it. I love all of your muffin recipes. They are always so delicious. Glad I could pass this one along to you!
P.S. I just saw your message about you coming to Phoenix. I hope I didn’t miss the chance to connect with you. Please use my contact page and e-mail me when you will be here. I would love to meet up for coffee or tea or something if you have time!
wow!! Can I have a slice right now? 😀
I sure wish I could give you a slice! 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment!
This looks phenomenal!! I don’t know why I’ve never thought to add a cream cheese layer to banana bread, because it sounds incredible. Good for you for sticking it out through the various versions!
Thank you so much! I know, I don’t know why I never did either until now. It was a lot of fun to make even though it took a few tries to get it right. I really appreciate you stopping by!
So lovely that you have that family history with cooking! This recipe absolutely looks fit for royalty – that crream cheese ripple is making me hungry.
Thank you so much! I am very thankful for my family history. It took awhile for it to kick in, but I am so glad it finally did! I had a lot of fun making this bread (after I figured out how not to ruin it). 🙂 The cream cheese layer makes it fun. I appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Wow what a lovely combo of ingredients in there…. lovely, gorgeous looking loaf Shari….
Thanks so much, Chitra! You are very sweet. It was a lot of fun to make once I figured out the pitfalls. 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend!
I really like the addition of the cream cheese for this recipe. I will be sure to make it. Thank you!
Thanks a lot for letting me know, Eva! I hope you enjoy it. It can be tricky, but is worth the effort. I appreciate you stopping by!
My husband is the banana bread baker in the family and prepares his family recipe too; however, I know that I’d like your Mimi’s recipe with the cream cheese flowing through it. I know that he would too! I like to read the old notes that people left on their recipe cards too. I make a lot of notes in my cookbooks so that my kids can someday come across them in my handwriting. My mother always wrote a note of where she purchased her cookbooks and the event that was taking place on or near the date of purchase. Thank you for this delicious recipe and the adorable photo of you with Mimi, Shari!
Aren’t family recipes wonderful?! I love reading the old notes, too. I never thought of making notes on mine for future generations. I’m going to start doing that. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me. What a treasure you have for your family, Roz! Thanks for sharing it with us. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!