Snickerdoodle Banana Bread (Printable)

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

# What You 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 until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
04 - Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and fold until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent a dense texture.
05 - In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon until evenly blended.
06 - Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter layer.
07 - Pour the remaining batter over the swirl layer and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly across the surface. Draw a butter knife through the layers in a gentle figure-eight motion to create a marbled effect.
08 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
09 - Let the loaf rest in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It delivers two favorite treats in one slice without any extra effort
  • The cinnamon-sugar swirl creates those gorgeous crackly tops you usually only get on cookies
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the number one way to end up with a dense, tough loaf instead of a tender one
  • The swirl sugar can sink during baking if your batter is too thin, so make sure your bananas are mashed well and not watery
03 -
  • Use the darkest, most spotted bananas you can find because the flavor difference is not subtle
  • Let the melted butter cool for a few minutes before adding it to the eggs so you do not accidentally scramble them

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