Banana Cinnamon Bread

If you are a fan of banana bread, this Banana Cinnamon Bread is just what you are looking for! It is light, warming and delicious.

You’ve likely seen recipes for banana bread out there subbing out sugar for honey or ones that use yogurt. This is not one of those recipes. There is nothing like traditional banana bread, and this one is legit.

I’ve tested a number of ways to make this recipe, and what makes this so delicious and fluffy is the way the ingredients are incorporated.

How to organize Banana Cinnamon Bread ingredients

I want to preface this by saying this recipe does not take a long time to make, but if you are wanting to throw everything into one bowl and toss it in the oven, this is not the recipe for you. However, I promise it is worth using the three bowls and taking the few extra minutes to thoughtfully incorporate the ingredients together.

Bowl one = dry ingredients

• Flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cinnamon

Bowl two = the “wet ingredients

• Bananas (mashed with a fork until it is mostly smooth)
• Milk (this is a nice little addition to allow the mashed bananas to get even more blended together)
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract

Bowl three = all that makes this bread fluffy and airy

• Softened Unsalted Butter
• Sugar

Why should you mix butter and sugar separately?

Mixing butter and sugar together is called “Creaming,” which gives this bread a lighter texture. If you want to avoid a dense bread, this is an important step in the baking process. I love how the benefits of this process are explained by Serious Eats and recommend the quick read if you’re interested.

The other key factor is that the butter is not melted. Some banana bread recipes call for melted butter, but that has never given me good results. You want the butter to be softened, which can be done by letting it sit out of the refrigerator for a short time before you start baking. However, I prefer to heat it up in the microwave 10 seconds at a time with the paper on until softened before adding to the bowl. It usually takes a 2-3, 10 second intervals to get it softened. Then you are ready to combine with sugar and start creaming!

Tips for Banana Cinnamon Bread

Make sure you don’t bake bread on too high a temp! 350F for 60-70 minutes is the sweet spot for this recipe.

Wait about 10-15 minutes for your Banana Cinnamon Bread to cool on the cooling rack before slicing.

Serve warm or at room temp the next day. You can even toast it and add butter for a special treat.

Homemade banana bread lasts 2-4 days at room temp, a week if stored in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.