Best Ever Banana Bread

Why this Cream Cheese Banana Bread Recipe Works

No matter how tasty a recipe is, you have it can come out dry and very unappealing. For this reason, I add cream cheese to my Best Ever Banana Bread. This addition keeps the Banana Bread moist and creamy tasting.

How to Make Best Ever Banana Bread – Step by Step 

• Mix Soft Ingredients: Start by using and electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. 
• Slowly add sugar and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.  Next, add eggs, one at a time until incorporated.
• Combine Dry Ingredients: Next, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  While mixer is on low-speed, slowly add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture until just combined.
• Stir in mashed bananas. Then, if adding chocolate chips, combine chips and flour in a separate bowl then fold into batter.
• Spoon batter evenly into greased loaf pans. Stir Next, together all ingredients for streusel topping.  Then sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over each.
• Finally, bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Then, to prevent over browning, you may need to cover loaves with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.  Lastly, cool pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Then remove from pans.

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Recommendations for Making the Homemade Banana Bread

The secret to the best banana bread is, of course, ripe bananas. let them sit out on the counter until they are very brown, this makes them super sweet and mushy. Alternatively, you can make this Best Ever Banana Bread by looking in the seconds bin at your local grocery store. They usually are selling over ripe bananas very cheap!

If you do not want to wait here are a few tips for ripening bananas faster. Place bananas in a brown paper bag with either an apple or an already overly ripe banana or for a super quick fix, bake unpeeled bananas at 300°F until black, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then just let the bananas cool.

Tips for Making the Best Ever Banana Bread

To have a really moist banana bread, you have to think about the fat you are adding to your bread. I use Cream cheese because of the texture that it impacts to the the bread it is one of the reasons that it is the Best Ever Banana Bread.

However, you can all alternatives for your moisture. Sour Cream, apple sauce or oil can also be used.

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Expert Tips for Making the Best Ever Banana Bread

• Chocolate Chips: Are a great addition. Alternatively, how about butterscotch or Peanut Butter Chips. Yum!
• Go a Little Nutty: Try adding Walnuts to this delicious banana bread.
• Top it off: Try a drizzle of caramel sauce on top of the bread and you will be in heaven.

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Best Ever Banana Bread

When I use the title of "Best Ever Banana Bread", I do not bander these words around lightly. This super moist, banana bread is truly the best I have ever made or tasted!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Cool Time10 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana, bread

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 299kcal

Author: Christina Hitchcock

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Ingredients

Bread

• 3/4 cup butter – softened3/4 cup butter – softened
• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sugar2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cups mashed bananas – about 4 medium1-1/2 cups mashed bananas – about 4 medium
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips – optional1 cup chocolate chips – optional
• 6 Tbs flour6 Tbs flour

Streusel Topping

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp flour1 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp melted butter1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans.
• Using and electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Slowly add sugar and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. While mixer is on low-speed, slowly add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture until just combined. Stir in mashed bananas. If adding chocolate chips, combine chips and flour in a separate bowl then fold into batter.
• Spoon batter evenly into greased loaf pans.
• Stir together all ingredients for streusel topping. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over each.
• Bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. To prevent over browning, you may need to cover loaves with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Cool pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool an additional 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Expert Tips for Making the Best Ever Banana Bread

• Chocolate Chips: Are a great addition. Alternatively, how about butterscotch or Peanut Butter Chips. Yum!
• Go a Little Nutty: Try adding Walnuts to this delicious banana bread.
• Top it off: Try a drizzle of caramel sauce on top of the bread and you will be in heaven.

Nutrition

Serving: 40g | Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 278IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

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Helpful Tips for All Recipes on It Is a Keeper

• Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust! 
• When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.  
• I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
• I always use a meat thermometor to test for doneness when cooking meat.  This one is my favorite.  
• When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
• The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate.  Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.