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Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread

Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread is soft, moist, and full of banana flavor with a sweet cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle and a crunchy topping. The butter strip trick creates that perfect bakery-style crack, making this cozy loaf as beautiful as it is delicious.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Keyword: banana bread
Author: Emily - My Messy Kitchen

Ingredients

For the bread:

  • ½ cup salted butter melted
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed about 1 1/2 cups
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Cinnamon sugar mixture (for swirl & topping)

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp salted butter softened to pipe the butter strip. not required but adds extra flavor and crunch

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper for easy release and set aside.In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, then add the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Do not over mix.
  • Spread half the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over the top, then pipe or spoon a thin line of softened butter straight down the center to create a controlled crack.
  • Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent the loaf with foil for the last 15 minutes. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.