Cinnamon Banana Bread Recipe

This Cinnamon Banana Bread Recipe is made with overly ripe mashed bananas and sour cream for a moist and delicious flavor! 

You can add some chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (check out my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe), or enjoy it plain. Need more recipes for your bananas? A few of our favorites include Banana Steel Cut Oats, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe, and Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding!

Why This Recipe Works

• Best banana bread recipe. It can be difficult to filter through all the banana bread recipes and find one that tastes above the rest! If you ned convincing, here’s a comment from a reader: “I have a fair amount of of Banana Bread Recipes and this one is for sure a keeper!”
• Delicious banana flavor. Grab your extra bananas because we are taking this classic banana bread recipe to the next level with some amazing banana flavor! To achievereally delicious banana flavor in this banana bread with sour cream, use overly ripe bananas. They are much softer and sweeter! 
• Moist banana bread recipe with sour cream. The trick to getting a deliciously moist texture in this cinnamon banana bread recipe is the addition of sour cream. The tangyness adds a nice flavor and the fat content helps provide the delicate moisture and tenderness. Since this is a banana bread recipe without oil, the sour cream is crucial and yet oh so delicious! 

Ingredient Notes

• Baking Soda: The leavening agent that adds rise to the banana bread when it comes in contact with an acid (the acid we use is sour cream). This is a quick bread recipe meaning it doesn’t use a yeasted dough. 
• Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon banana bread really is the way to go! If you’ve ever had it without cinnamon then I’m sure you understand why a banana bread recipe with cinnamon is superior! The addition creates a warm flavor depth.
• Unsalted Butter: I use unsalted butter when baking because I can control the amount of salt used in the recipe. If using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the amount of salt 1/4 of a teaspoon per 1/2 cup of butter in the recipe. 
• Eggs: Egg whites’ protein adds structure to the recipe while the egg yolks’ fat adds tenderness and flavor.
• Sour Cream: This is the best banana bread recipe with sour cream! The acid from the sour cream will react with the baking soda to create a beautiful rise, and the fat will keep the texture moist and soft. 
• Mashed Bananas: You’ll want the bananas to be really ripe because they are softer and sweeter. This moist banana bread recipe with sour cream calls for 2 cups of mashed bananas, this comes to about 4 to 5 medium bananas.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk until combined. 
2. Cream the wet ingredients. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add the sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract. Beat until fully combined. 

3. Add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined. 
4. Bake. Pour batter into a 9×5-inch loaf pan that has been greased and flour. Bake at 325° F for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. 
5. Let cool. Let the cinnamon banana bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove to let cool on a wire rack. 

Recipe Tips

Make sure the oven is heated to 325°F. I use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven is at the right temperature. 

Make sure you use overripe bananas which are much softer and much, much sweeter.

This recipe doesn’t need bread flour. Just use all-purpose flour. 

As you can see, I left a few small banana chunks in my “mashed banana” mixture. This resulted in tiny banana pieces throughout the banana bread (which made it sooooo yummy!) If you don’t want that, just make sure you mash the bananas until smooth.

To mash the bananas you can use a fork (as I did), a pastry blender, or you can place the bananas in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix the bananas until really smooth.

One reader made this into easy banana bread recipe into muffins! “I made muffins from this recipe, left them in the oven about 25-30 minutes. Taste awesome!” 

Add a cinnamon layer to up the cinnamon flavor and turn this cinnamon banana bread recipe into a cinnamon swirl banana bread. Combine some cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Pour half of the batter in the pan, then add a layer of the cinnamon sugar mixture, then pour the remaining batter on top. 

Feel free to add chopped nuts for a banana nut bread or chocolate chips in the batter or see my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe. 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

To prevent the banana bread from drying out, cover with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or place the bread in a zip top bag for 2 days, or in fridge for up to 1 week. 

For an extra moist banana bread, cover the bread when *slightly* warm to keep the moisture intact.

To freeze, double wrap in plastic wrap and then cover in aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw in the fridge overnight. 

Recipe FAQs

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• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
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