Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

It might get a little bananary round here in the near future. The thing is I love bananas, I like to have one everyday with my breakfast but my bananas are sneaking up on me at the moment. I’m not sure if it’s the type of bananas I’m buying or the weather or some other cosmic force but the bananas arrive not quite ready, I blink and they’re all too ripe.

There is this tiny window of opportunity when they are okay to eat au naturel. Obviously everyone has different tastes and eat their bananas at different stages. I’m okay with a little bit of brown speckling but when the speckles start to join up… bleurgh. Of course all is not lost, like a banana shaped Phoenix raising from the fruitbowl, this is the moment they get turned into something delicious.

Breads, Cookies, Smoothies, Cheesecakes – the possibility with bananas are endless. Have I said the world Banana enough?

I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest (where else?) and traced it back to coming originally from Sandwich Hoss. Cinnamon & Banana go together like salt & caramel, peanut butter & jam, Newman & McQueen… it would be rude not to combine them.

Sadly (This really isn’t actually sadly) the first loaf of this I made, I cut into it too early and ate rather a large chunk of it before I had chance to take a decent picture. So the good food blogger that I am (It was all for you, had nothing to do with my greedy tummy, you’re welcome) I baked another loaf for photography purposes and there were no complaints.

The cinnamon layer really is an excellent addition, I’ve not really even thought about any other kind of Banana bread since and I can’t imagine ever needing to again.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
adapted from the recipe critic
makes one 9×5 loaf

3 over-ripe bananas – smashed up
75g / 2.6oz melted butter – allow to cool slightly
143g / 5oz granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
165g / 5.8oz plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the cinnamon swirl:
63g / 2.2oz golden caster sugar & 1 tbsp ground cinnamon – mixed together

1. Preheat oven to 180°c / 350°f / gas mark 4
2. Grease and line a 9×5 loaf tin
3. Mix together the banana, sugar, butter, egg & vanilla
4. In a large bowl mix together the flour, bicarb & salt.
5. Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour.
6. Pour half of the batter into the tin.
7. Sprinkle the majority of the cinnamon/sugar mix over the batter (reserving enough to cover the top)
8. Add the rest of the batter, smooth it over and sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon/sugar mix over the top.
9. Bake for 50/60 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Try and resist until it is fully cooled, it does actually taste much nicer that way but is so tempting when still warm.