Brown sugar cinnamon banana bread

This banana bread recipe is by far my most-loved version. Classic banana bread spiced up with cinnamon and soft brown sugar delivers a loaf so good, you won’t be able to stop at just one slice. Guaranteed!

Brown sugar cinnamon banana bread

Ingredients needed

Banana bread is famous for being a quick recipe to throw together with ingredients you already have on hand. The softer your bananas, the better. I also use frozen and thawed bananas often as they make excellent banana bread. The combination of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and baking powder adds plenty of lift and a beautiful brown colour to the finished bread while cinnamon and brown sugar makes sure every bite is utterly delicious.

  • Butter. I used salted butter but unsalted butter can be substituted too.
  • Brown sugar. I used muscavado sugar but any soft brown sugar will work.
  • Eggs. 
  • Bananas. Make sure the bananas you are using are very soft and overripe. The softer and riper the bananas, the better the banana bread will be.
  • Vanilla. 
  • Cinnamon. 
  • Flour. All purpose flour or cake flour work well.
  • Baking powder. 
  • Baking soda.
  • Salt. 

Brown sugar cinnamon banana bread

How to make cinnamon banana bread

  1. Make the batter: Preheat the oven and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together room temperature butter and soft, brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing well after each addition. Use over-ripe bananas (the blacker, the better) and add to the batter. At this point, the batter will look split and curdled but don’t worry, the moment you add the dry ingredients it will come together. Sift in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until just combined and the batter is smooth and creamy.
  2. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the cinnamon sugar mixture and place in the oven. Allow to bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

How to store banana bread

Wrap baked and cooled banana bread in parchment paper or foil and place in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. You can also keep your banana bread in the fridge for up to a week. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Can you freeze banana bread?

Yes, banana bread freezes very well. Wrap baked and cooled banana bread tightly in a layer of parchment paper and then foil. Place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze slices of banana bread in the same way.

Brown sugar cinnamon banana bread

Banana bread recipes:

  1. Easy healthy banana bread
  2. Classic Banana Bread
  3. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Brown sugar cinnamon banana bread

Brown sugar cinnamon banana bread

Classic banana bread spiced with cinnamon and soft brown sugar delivers a loaf so good, you won't be able to stop at just one slice. Guaranteed!
4.70 from 223 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Baking, Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana bread, Banana bread recipe, cinnamon banana bread
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Calories: 228kcal
Author: Alida Ryder
Servings: 12 (makes 1 loaf of banana bread)

Ingredients

  • 125 g (½ cup) butter room temperature
  • 200 g (1 cup) brown sugar I used muscavado sugar
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 6 (approximately 350g) large bananas (the blacker they are, the better)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 250 g (2 cups) flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt

for the topping

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/350°F and grease and line a standard loaf tin (approx 20cmx12cm) with baking paper.
  • In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy then add the eggs one a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Add the bananas and vanilla extract and mix well.
  • Sift together the dry ingredients and stir into the batter.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf tin.
  • Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle over the banana bread.
  • Place the tin in the oven and allow to bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg

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73 Comments

  1. This center of the bread was still gooey when I took it out after 50 minutes and the bread collapsed when I took it out of the pan. I have never baked a banana bread that required 6 bananas though and I think that is the issue. Most recipes call for 3, possibly 4 at most. Im going to try again with less banana because we were very excited for this.

  2. This is by far the best banana bread recipe. I actually made muffins using this recipe with addition of a dollop of chocolate spread on top and they turned out amazing. Thank you so much for this ??????

  3. I’ve cooked it according to the recipe. After 45 minutes I checked it with a skewer and it came out clean. An hour later I have cut into it in the middle and it is not cooked. Really disappointed. I have put it back onto the oven to see if I can salvage anything as it seems like such a waste of some lovely ingredients but I am gutted as I was so looking forward to this.

    1. Hi Vicky. This is very strange – if the skewer comes out clean it’s never happened to me that the bread isn’t cooked inside. Especially after an hour’s resting time. I have tested this recipe countless times and that has never happened to me. At what temp did you bake the banana bread?

    2. Hi this kinda happened to me I just wasn’t convince it was fully cooked – I lightly toasted my sliced bread before eating (can use toaster pockets in toaster) and it was delicious and even a bit crisp which was great with the brown sugar 🙂

  4. The best banana bread recipe I have ever made. It turns out every time and that special topping just makes it more delicious.
    I was always searching for a better banana bread recipe but now I have found the one that I always stick to and my family love it.
    Thank you Alida for sharing this fab recipe.

  5. Great recipe! Tastes delicious! The only thing I’d say is that I’m struggling to get the baking time right – I baked it at 350 F for 50 mins and the outside of it was definitely done / starting to go dry but the very middle of it is a bit gooey still… how do I make sure the middle is baked enough without the rest being too dry?

    1. That is strange, I’ve never had that issue. Perhaps cover with foil half-way through baking to allow the center to cook all the way without the edges getting too crusty.

  6. I made this banana bread..it baked 55 min at 350…I tested it and the tester was clean as a whistle.. after it cooled it sank in the middle…it’s gooey so we put it in the microwave for about a minute…still a bit gooey but it’s edible…I’ll make it again and cook longer… thanks for sharing..

  7. Hey Alida, I’ve had my loaf in the over for nearly an hour and a half and it’s still wet in the middle, but I followed your recipe exactly, I’m scared of turning up the heat because I don’t want the top to burn, what should I do? 🙁

      1. 180, I took it out after 2 and a bit hours because the top was starting to get really dark. It’s still really stodgy though

          1. I know it makes no sense! Well either way it tastes amazing, nothing was going to stop me from eating it!

        1. I have made this twice, really tasty with a few extra ingredients 1/4 tsp ground cloves and 1/4 nutmeg. I also noticed 350 for allotted baking time does cause center to be gooey. I baked at 325 for 15 minutes and then put oven back to 350, for 50 to sixty minutes. I also only used 4 bananas,and drizzled on honey while warm.

  8. Super lovely and gorgeously tasty but although my tin equated your measurements the mixture filled it right to the top and therefore overflowed when baking. Any suggestions as to what I did wrong?

    1. Hi Christa, thank you for sharing this recipe! Do you use convention/traditional or convection oven mode to bake at 45mins? 🙂 What is the recommended duration for convection mode? Thank you!

  9. The bread tastes great! Made the recipe this afternoon. Like the idea of putting soft bananas in a zip-type bag and smashing. The recipe took a bit longer to make than stated, but turned out so much better this time. Thanks for sharing!