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Kid-Approved Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

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This pumpkin spice banana bread features a creamy, tangy cream cheese swirl that kids and adults alike will love. It’s quick to make with simple ingredients and perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups or 360 ml)
  • 1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup (120 ml) melted unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar (for cream cheese swirl)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line your 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the long sides. Lightly spray the exposed ends with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Mash the bananas. In a large bowl, mash your ripe bananas with a fork until they’re mostly smooth with just a few small lumps. You want about 1 ½ cups.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients. To the mashed bananas, add the pumpkin puree, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until smooth and well combined.
  4. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
  5. Fold the dry into the wet. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold gently, just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  6. Make the cream cheese swirl. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, then beat until everything is combined and silky.
  7. Layer the batter and swirl. Pour about half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the batter in dollops, then gently spread it into an even layer. Pour the remaining banana bread batter on top and spread it carefully to cover the cream cheese layer.
  8. Create the swirl. Take a butter knife or a skewer and insert it straight down into the batter. Drag it through in a figure-eight pattern, going from one end of the pan to the other. Do about 6 to 8 passes.
  9. Bake. Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  10. Cool properly. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then use the parchment overhang to lift the bread out and transfer it to the rack to cool completely.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid a dense texture. Room temperature ingredients ensure a smooth swirl. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to keep the cream cheese swirl intact. The bread tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin spice banana bread, cream cheese swirl banana bread, kid-friendly banana bread, fall baking, easy banana bread recipe

Find it online: https://willarecipes.com/kid-approved-pumpkin-spice-banana-bread-with-cream-cheese-swirl/