Banana Bread with a Delicious Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- bread
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup liquid-state coconut oil (canola or vegetable may
- 1/4 cup cup sour cream (lite is okay or greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
- pinch salt optional and to taste
- cream cheese filling
- 4 ounces softened brick-style cream cheese (lite is okay)
- Carbohydrate 28.4391729381242 g
- Cholesterol 69.108333333002 mg
- Fat 11.4234129584247 g
- Fiber 0.652781267548809 g
- Protein 4.2946429597451 g
- Saturated Fat 6.73391241664735 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (78g)
- Sodium 347.090725208995 mg
- Sugar 27.7863916705754 g
- Trans Fat 0.981522275050454 g
- Calories 234 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9x5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- Bread - In a large bowl, add the egg, brown sugar, coconut oil, sour cream, brown sugar, 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.
- 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. Tip - Tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped over it at the 30 minute-mark if you feel the tops and sides will become too browned before center cooks through. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of bananas, cream cheese, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock.
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Optionally, serve bread with Honey Butter, Cinnamon-Sugar Butter, Blueberry Butter, Strawberry Butter, or Vanilla Browned Butter Glaze. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How do you keep a heavy cream cheese core from sinking straight to the bottom of a quick bread? The answer lies in density management and split layering. By anchoring two-thirds of the banana batter in the bottom of a nine-by-five-inch loaf pan first, you create a sturdy structural shelf that supports the dairy ribbon before sealing it beneath the remaining batter. Overmixing the flour activates excess gluten, which makes quick breads tough and rubbery rather than tender and cake-like, so stop folding the moment dry pockets disappear. Testing for doneness requires patience because cream cheese retains moisture differently than crumb; rely on visual cues like a domed, golden top alongside a tester showing moist crumbs rather than wet batter. Tent the loaf with aluminum foil at the thirty-minute mark if the crust darkens too quickly before the center finishes baking. Allow the finished loaf to rest undisturbed in its pan for fifteen minutes to set its crumb structure before attempting inversion onto a wire rack. Slice this rich loaf into ten portions and serve it alongside simple cultured butter whipped with honey, cinnamon, or a bright vanilla browned butter glaze to balance the tang of the dairy filling. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the bread remains fresh for up to one week, or it can be frozen for up to six months.
