This cinnamon crunch banana bread is just as delightfully decadent as it sounds!
It’s ultra-moist banana bread with a crunchy cinnamon sugar crust.
The sour cream and overripe bananas provide sweetness, richness, and flavor. The cinnamon crunch topping adds an irresistible texture contrast.
Enjoy it for breakfast or with your afternoon coffee or tea. Either way, it won’t disappoint!
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread
Enticing Aroma: The wonderful scents of banana and cinnamon will fill every corner of your kitchen while this bread bakes. Honestly, it makes it difficult to wait for the bread to be done!
Moist Yet Crispy Texture: The sour cream in the batter ensures a moist, tender crumb. But the cinnamon crunch topping is a crispy, buttery finishing touch.
Reduces Waste: Like all banana bread recipes, this one helps you use up those black bananas no one wants to eat. It helps cut down on food waste, and that’s always a win.
Simple Elegance: Despite its rich taste and impressive appearance, this bread isn’t hard to make. There’s no yeast or kneading involved. It’s a classic quick bread recipe with a twist.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: For structure and a nice, tender texture.
- Baking Soda: The leavening agent that helps the bread rise.
- Salt: To enhance the other flavors and balance the bread’s natural sweetness.
- Ground Cinnamon: The warm, aromatic spice that sets this bread apart.
- Unsalted Butter: For richness and tenderness. I like unsalted because it allows me to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar provides a deeper, more complex sweetness than white sugar. It also helps soften and moisten the bread.
- Large Eggs: To hold everything together and add moisture.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is always my “secret ingredient” when making banana bread. Its slight tanginess complements the other ingredients perfectly and makes the bread ultra moist and soft.
- Mashed Ripe Bananas: The blacker, the better! Use overripe bananas for the sweetest, moistest bread.
- Vanilla Extract: Another intoxicating aroma to fill your kitchen.
How to Make Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread
Simply follow these steps to make this bread.
1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Liberally grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. MIX. Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and beat the butter and brown sugar in another. Add the eggs to the butter, then the sour cream, bananas, and vanilla. Finally, stir the “dry” ingredient mixture into the “wet” ingredients until just combined.
3. CRUMB. Mix the topping flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Then, use a fork to cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. LAYER. Pour half the batter into the loaf pan and top it with half the cinnamon crunch topping. Pour the remaining batter on top, then sprinkle on the rest of the topping.
5. BAKE. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until done.
6. COOL. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Then, slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread
Here are a few of my best tips for this recipe:
- Give it a good dusting. The recipe already instructs you to grease your loaf pan. However, I like to dust mine with a bit of flour, as well. It’s the safest way to ensure the bread doesn’t stick.
- Room temperature is key. This is especially important for the eggs, making them easier to mix. (Which, in turn, helps you avoid overmixing.) But it’s also best if the sour cream and butter are room temperature, too.
- Take a shortcut. If you’re like me, you probably freeze your bananas when they start to turn black. You can definitely use those frozen bananas in this recipe. Just thaw them first.
- Mash the bananas well. You want them as smooth and as lump-free as possible. Don’t leave any large clumps. If you do, they won’t distribute as evenly throughout the bread.
- Don’t overmix! I know, I know. I put this tip in nearly all my baking recipes. But overmixing is the number one cause of dense, tough baked goods, so it’s important to remember.
- Tent it up. Depending on your oven and the altitude, the top of your bread may start to brown rapidly. If so, tent it with foil to prevent burning.
- Add some fun extras. Mix chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit into the batter for extra flavor and texture. You can also drizzle the finished bread with vanilla glaze. Yum!
How to Store
Whether you’re storing or freezing your leftover bread, be sure to let it cool fully first.
To Store: Place the bread in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or refrigerate it for up to a week. (Alternatively, you can wrap it tightly with aluminum foil.)
To Freeze: Wrap the fully cooled bread in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Let frozen bread thaw in the fridge overnight. For a crispy finish, reheat chilled slices in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or in the toaster.
More Banana Bread Recipes to Try
Blueberry Banana Bread
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coffee Cake Banana Bread
Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting
Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread
12
servings20
minutes50
minutes382
This easy cinnamon crunch banana bread combines ripe bananas, warm spices, and a sweet buttery crunch topping for the ultimate comforting treat!
Ingredients
- For the Bread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 bananas)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- For the Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In another bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
- To make the cinnamon crunch topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon crunch topping over the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top, then sprinkle with the rest of the topping.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, remove it and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
