Snickerdoodle Banana Bread (Printable)

Moist banana bread with a cinnamon-sugar swirl, inspired by classic snickerdoodle cookies.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
07 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
08 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon-Sugar Swirl and Topping

12 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.
03 - In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended.
04 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the texture tender.
05 - In a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon until evenly blended.
06 - Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the surface.
07 - Spread the remaining batter over the first layer and smooth the top. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon-sugar over the surface, then draw a butter knife gently through the layers to create a marbled effect.
08 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cinnamon sugar ribbon running through the middle turns ordinary banana bread into something people actually talk about
  • It comes together in one bowl with zero fancy techniques but looks like you tried really hard
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the number one reason banana bread turns out heavy instead of tender
  • The swirl sugar will sink slightly during baking which is completely normal and actually creates a lovely sugary crust at the bottom
03 -
  • Let your bananas get truly black spotted before baking because the flavor difference is dramatic
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar swirl thicker in the center of the loaf where it shows off the most when sliced

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