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

# Steps:

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 thoroughly incorporated.
04 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent a dense crumb.
05 - In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon for the swirl and topping.
06 - Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter in a uniform layer.
07 - Spread the remaining batter over the first layer and smooth the surface. Dust the top with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture. Lightly drag a butter knife through the layers for a marbled effect.
08 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out 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 Advice:

01 -
  • The cinnamon sugar swirl creates these gooey sweet pockets that make every slice feel like a little surprise
  • It solves the problem of overripe bananas without feeling like you are just making ordinary banana bread again
02 -
  • Swirling too aggressively blends the cinnamon sugar into the batter instead of leaving distinct pockets, so a gentle figure eight motion is all you need
  • Underbaking is actually more common than overbaking with banana bread because the center looks wet even when done, so trust the toothpick test
03 -
  • If your bananas are not quite ripe enough, bake them whole in their peels at 300 degrees for 15 minutes and they will become sweet and mashable fast
  • The cinnamon sugar on top gets extra crunchy if you brush the batter surface with a tiny bit of melted butter before sprinkling

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