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Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread

Cream cheese filled banana bread with a rich cheesecake center swirled inside ultra-moist banana bread. Baked until set and toothpick-clean in the bread portion, then cooled completely for clean slices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana Bread
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 bananas ripe, mashed
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Cream Cheese Filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and banana bread batter
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Set out a 9×5-inch loaf pan so it’s ready for filling.
  2. Grease and line the 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave overhang so the loaf lifts out easily later.
  3. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Whisk until the spices are evenly distributed (no visible clumps).
  4. Beat unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy. Mix until lighter in color and aerated.
  5. Add eggs one at a time and mix after each addition. Stop when the mixture looks smooth and cohesive.
  6. Mix in vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and sour cream. The batter should look thick and well combined.
  7. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Mix only until no streaks of flour remain, then stop (avoid overmixing).
Cream cheese filling and assemble
  1. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and all-purpose flour until smooth. Scrape the bowl as needed to remove any lumps.
  2. Spread half of the banana bread batter into the loaf pan. Press it gently into an even layer for cleaner filling lines.
  3. Carefully spread the cream cheese filling over the batter. Use a spatula to keep the filling centered without pushing down.
  4. Cover with the remaining banana bread batter. Spread gently so the filling is sealed under the top layer.
Bake and slice
  1. Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the bread portion comes out clean. Look for a set top and slight browning, while the center should still be creamy under the bread.
  2. Cool completely before slicing. Wait for full cooling so the cream cheese center firms and clean slices show.

Notes

For the cleanest cream cheese center, fully cool the loaf before slicing—warm bread can make the filling ooze. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Freeze slices (wrapped well) up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese in the filling without changing bake time.