Cinnamon Topped Banana Bread is a dense, moist banana bread generously topped with cinnamon sugar. When you need a little something sweet for breakfast, this easy banana bread recipe will do the trick!

Loaf of Cinnamon Topped Banana Bread, sliced

Why You Must Make

  • Sprinkling the Banana Bread batter with cinnamon and sugar before it bakes gives your loaf and sweet, delicious crust!
  • It’s the perfect way to use up over-ripe bananas.

Some days, I just want to keep the oven on whether I’m baking or not. The weather forecast is full of words like sub-zero, wind chill, and polar vortex. My house is drafty I’m dressed in layers. Many layers. The hubby tries not to giggle when he finds me sitting at the computer, early in the morning, donned in a fleece jacket over my bathrobe with both feet nestled in my Uggs. Not exactly fashion-forward. This is a day to make cookies. Or banana bread. And to make my loaf a little more special, I sprinkled the top with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar. The hour and 15-minute baking time helped raise the kitchen temp a fraction of a degree. Every little bit helps!

Slices of Cinnamon Topped Banana Bread on a plate

Recipe Tips

The hubby will occasionally buy a few bananas for his breakfast. Invariably, the last one will get bruised or overripe and it sits on the counter for days. Banana bread is perfect for this unappealing fruit.

  • Just wait until the skin is well spotted with brown and fragrant and then toss it, unpeeled, into your freezer. I store them in a freezer Ziploc bag.
  • When you have accumulated four, it’s time to bake up some cinnamon-topped banana bread! Give this recipe a try. Half the bananas are pureed and the other half mashed, so there’s a little more texture.
  • Feel free to add nuts if you’d like, about a half cup of your favorite. Toast them a bit first to intensify their nuttiness. And warm up your kitchen a bit more!
  • Since banana bread is a quick bread, there are a few tips that are important to make the perfect loaf. First of all, prep you pan well. I grease the pan and then line the bottom with a piece of parchment, so that the bottom releases cleanly.
  • Do not over-mix after adding the flour. Over mixing will cause tunnels to form throughout the loaf.
  • I like to whisk together the dry ingredients before adding them to reduce the time needed to incorporate them.
  • PRO-Tip: Then, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix in the dry ingredients just until combined. Never use a mixer or you’ll almost always get tunnels.
  • Let the bread cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before releasing from the pans to finish cooling.
  • It freezes well if you want to eat half and freeze half for another time!

half a loaf of Cinnamon Topped Banana Bread next to slices of the banana bread

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Cinnamon Topped Banana Bread Recipe

Cinnamon Topped Banana Bread Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield 16 servings

A moist, delicious banana bread with a cinnamon sugar topping adapted from 2 banana bread recipes. Bread recipe from Tyler Florence.

Ingredients

Bread::

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 very ripe bananas
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping::

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with Baker's Joy or another flour and oil non-stick spray. Place a rectangle of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and spray the top also. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. Beat the remaining bananas and sugar together for about 3 minutes, until they are light and fluffy. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl,
  4. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Over-beating will cause tunnels in your loaf. Fold in the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, then give it a couple taps on the counter to eliminate any large air pockets.
  5. Mix the topping ingredients together. Sprinkle over the top of the batter. You may not need to use it all (I did!).
  6. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical.
  7. Cool the bread in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Carefully turn the pan on its side and try to slide the bread out onto a wire rack. Some topping will fall off. Turn right-side up and cool completely.

Notes

Use bananas with some brown spots for the best banana bread.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 slice

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 194mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 3g

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