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Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

This Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread is my favorite banana bread recipe! It’s dense, moist, and finished with a delectable brown sugar pecan topping.

Cream cheese banana nut bread on white plate

Easy Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Pecans

Whenever I have a bunch of over-ripe bananas on the kitchen counter, I can’t resist the urge to make banana bread. This Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread is my very favorite version to make. Now, don’t get me wrong—I’ll take banana bread any way I can get it! But there’s something really special about this recipe.

Maybe it’s the cream cheese, and how it makes this loaf dense and rich. Maybe it’s the cinnamon-infused brown sugar pecan crumb topping. Or maybe it’s the fact that it makes two loaves, which means we have one to enjoy now and one to save for later. (Or a loaf to give to others, if you feel so inclined.) Whatever it is, this is a recipe I make again and again, and I feel pretty confident that if you give it a try, you’ll find yourself doing the same!

Overhead view of cream cheese banana nut bread ingredients

What You’ll Need

Other than the cream cheese and pecans, the ingredients for this cream cheese banana bread are similar to the standard recipe.

For the bread:

  • All-purpose flour – As always, measure by weight for best results.
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Butter – Let the butter sit on the countertop for about half an hour to soften.
  • Cream cheese – The cream cheese also needs to be softened.
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs – Take the eggs out and let them sit on the counter with the butter and cream cheese so they come to room temperature.
  • Mashed bananas – You’ll need about 4 medium bananas to get a cup and a half mashed.
  • Chopped pecans – Toast them in a skillet set over low heat or on a sheet pan in a 350ºF oven, stirring in 5 minute intervals until fragrant and lightly browned.
  • Vanilla extract

For the topping:

  • Brown sugar – Light or dark can be used for this recipe; dark will give the topping a little more depth thanks to its molasses flavor.
  • Chopped pecans
  • All-purpose flour
  • Butter
  • Ground cinnamon

How to Make Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

This is an easy banana bread recipe to whip up whenever you have a few spare moments!

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F, then grease and flour two 8″x 4″ loaf pans.

Overhead view of dry ingredients in white mixing bowl

Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. 

Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until they’re creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, mixing until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, beating on low speed until blended. Stir in the mashed banana, nuts, and vanilla extract, then divide the batter into the two prepared pans.

Make the topping. Combine all of the topping ingredients in a small bowl, then sprinkle it over the batter in the loaf pans.

Bake. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Cool. Let the bread cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the loaves from the pans and place them directly onto the wire racks to finish cooling.

Overhead view of sliced cream cheese banana nut bread on wire rack

Tips for Success

This Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread is a fairly straightforward recipe, but these tips will help you make sure it turns out perfectly!

  • Use over-ripe bananas. The browner, the better! When you use bananas that are yellow, they aren’t as sweet and they have a milder flavor. Dark, over-ripe bananas add sweetness and they have a more assertive banana flavor.
  • Weigh the flour. This always yields the best results. Learn more here: How to Measure Flour
  • Tent the bread. If necessary, cover the pans loosely with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking time to keep the top from becoming over-done or burnt.
Stack of 3 banana bread slices on white plate

How to Store Leftovers

Wrap the loaves of bread and store them at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. While they’ll last longer in the refrigerator, they’re also more likely to dry out that way.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, you can freeze your banana nut bread for up to 3 months. Wrap it well and pop it in a freezer bag or airtight container for an extra layer of protection. Let it thaw at room temperature before serving.

Overhead view of banana bread on white plate

Video Tutorial: Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

Yield 20 to 24 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread may very well be your new favorite banana bread!

Cream cheese banana nut bread on white plate

Ingredients

For the bread:

  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (170g) butter, softened
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 & 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
  • 1 cup (120g) chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

To make the bread:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8″x 4″ loaf pans.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until blended.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in the bananas, pecans, and vanilla extract.
  5. Divide the batter evenly and spoon into the prepared loaf pans.

To make the topping:

  1. Combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in both loaf pans.
  2. Bake for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover the pans loosely with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes to prevent excess browning.
  3. Cool the bread in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Southern Living.

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    138 Comments on “Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread”

  1. Oh my gosh. Cream cheese AND a cinnamon crumb topping? This looks incredible!!!

  2. That crumble top – oh. my. goodness. This look scrumptious.

  3. Wow! This is going to make a perfect dessert to bake, pair, and eat with my Rosato sparkling wine. Yummy!

  4. That looks wonderful! I may have to try that.

  5. So moist and delicious. YUM!

  6. I am willing my bananas to ripen right now as I type this!
    It sounds terrific.

  7. This looks so delicious and moist. I really can’t wait to use up my ripe bananas and the cinnamon topping sounds AMAZING!

  8. I always eat banana bread with cream cheese! so putting the cream cheese in the banana bread has to be good 😀

  9. I have the same issue with bananas – somehow I never get through them before they get too ripe for me to eat them (once they start to turn brown, I won’t touch them until they’ve reached the bake-able stage). I would end up throwing them out if I wasn’t motivated enough for banana bread – until recently I started freezing them. Just peel them, wrap them, and put them in the freezer and they’re good as new for your future banana bread!
    Even though I have my “go-to” banana bread recipe, I think I’ll try this recipe out – I have some cream cheese I have to work through in the fridge, and ripe bananas on the counter!

  10. Where can I find the recipe???

  11. Just kidding, found it!

  12. Banana bread. A personal favourite!

  13. I love banana bread, and I always have a few bananas in my freezer ready to go. As for saving ripe bananas, I just stick them in the freezer – I don’t bother to peel them or put them in a bag or anything. When you use them just defrost them (either by sitting at room temperature for awhile, or as I do, stick them in the microwave for a minute) and they peel easy. I wonder though how much the cream cheese comes through in the bread. I find sometimes, depending on the recipe, that you can’t really taste it, but that definitely wouldn’t stop me from try this, it looks so delicious.

  14. I LOVE banana bread, and can’t wait to throw in some cream cheese with it.

  15. This is delicious!! Whenever I have over-ripe bananas I want to make some banana bread but I end up chunking them instead. This time I had no excuse, cream cheese and banana nut bread… Umm YES! And it was a hit with everyone, my husband and my 4 yr old can’t stop eating it, a good friend said it was better than birthday cake( I gave her some on her bday). My husband said this is the BEST bread he’s eaten ever! Thank you for sharing this recipe, and just want to say I love this blog it’s my go to for dessert recipes!

  16. I found this recipe in Southern Living a few years ago. Every time I make it everyone really likes it. The main thing for me is that it doesn’t have oil in it. I know oil makes quick breads “moist” but to me they sometimes have a greasy quality.

  17. This looks amazing! I’ve made so many different banana breads but this is a new one to me! can’t wait to try it!

  18. MMMM this is a great recipe for a new twist on banana bread! DELISH!

  19. Hi!
    Just to say, I just found your blog, and I browsed through quite a few entries, and wow! So many salted-caramel or salted-chocolate (or both!) recipes! I’m in heaven!

  20. My goodness, this looks delicious. I am literally salivating…

    Maria xx
    http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com

  21. I so can’t wait to try this i love banana bread 🙂

    http://www.thechouxgirl.com

  22. This looks so great! I love banana bread and have never tried it with cream cheese. Yum. Thanks for sharing.

  23. I’ll use that tip on putting the bananas in refrigerator. We’re always using banana’s to make banana pudding! This is something I see making more often though.There is nothing like banana nut bread. I am a banana lover, I haven’t been here in a wile but I see nothing’s changed. You guys still give me good ideas to implement.

  24. This sounds wonderful. I love variations of banana bread. I’m relatively new to your blog and wanted you to know how much I enjoy the time I spend here. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary

  25. I have made Banana Bread a couple of times but never tried the one with cream cheese but it sound something of my taste as i am also a great fan of cream cheese.

  26. Anything involving cream cheese or a crumb topping and I am there. Looks so yummy! Just discovered your blog, looks so delicious and I expect I will be twenty pounds heavier in the next month as a result. Thanks a lot.

  27. Made this Thurday – it was gone by Friday. Delicious and I will be replacing my old recipe with this one. Thanks for sharing!

  28. nice bread… I should try this one !

  29. This cream cheese banana nut bread looks great. Thanks for the wonderful photos.

  30. WOW! this sounds delicious. I’m loving the topping for sure.

  31. Cream cheese, cinnamon, and bananas are three of my favorite foods! I cannot imagine how wonderful they would be all together. I will definitely have to try out this recipe. I am just afraid that if I do, I will never be able to eat regular banana bread again!

  32. I have a recipe very similar to this cream cheese banana bread, that I took out of an Arkansas church cookbook, and it is so delicious! I make it all the time, YUM!~

  33. Oh that looks heavenly!

  34. WOW 3/4 CUP BUTTER PLUS 8 oz CREAM CHEESE? I’LL NOT BE MAKING THIS!

  35. I have made this twice…not an intimidating feat at all. It is so good and freezes well which is great since it will make two loaves. Wonderful recipe!

  36. That sure does look lovely and moist – must be the gorgeous cream cheese. I have the same intentions when I have overripe bananas. If I don’t have the urge to bake banana bread or banana muffins, I feeze the bananas and make a homemade smoothie. (Just add the frozen banana to some milk and a dash of cinnamon) – yummo.

  37. Just made the recipe in mini loaves for Thanksgiving. They came out perfectly!!! They are so moist with a buttery fine crumb. This recipe is a departure for me as I tend to prefer oil-based baked goods; consider me converted! And the cream cheese is brilliant. I also toasted the pecans before adding them to the batter and that definitely enhanced their flavor. This recipe is a keeper.

  38. Sooo good! I just made this last night, and the hubby and I have declared it ‘the best banana bread recipe EVER.’ Thanks for sharing!

  39. Wow got to have these ,they look and sound fabulous .This is an easy recipe for us to try .Will watch these cook and get hungry till they come out of the oven. Mmmmmm Yum

  40. Made it finally, and LOVE it! Thank you for the recipe!

  41. Thank you for this recipe….I have been in search for the perfect banana bread recipe and this is it. I made it a few weeks ago and then as I was looking at the counter today the very ripe bananas were sreaming at me to make more bread…lol. I went to get the cream cheese and saw a White Chocolate Cream Cheese by Philidelphia and it was absoutley amazing….I highly suggest giving it a try….all the flavors of white chococlate and banana are like an explosion of oooooooyyyyy gooooooddddddnnnneessss in your mouth!

  42. Thanks. This will definitely be on my list!

  43. Pays to put some extra creaminess in the mixture. I use The Neelys’ recipe which calls for sour cream and I made it again with low-fat yogurt and the texture is great! I can eat a whole loaf myself. No shame!

  44. can i make muffins out of this batter/dough?

  45. kubelick, I think this would work well as muffins. You’ll likely need to decrease the baking time.

  46. Beautiful recipe! I usually follow a recipe exactly the first time, but I didn’t have the cream cheese or pecans on hand when I decided to make this, so I sub’d non-fat greek yogurt cheese (drained the yogurt for a couple of hours) and toasted walnuts. Still fabulous! The texture of this bread is so nice and the sweet crunchy top sets it apart from other banana breads. If it tastes this good with yogurt, I can’t wait to make it with cream cheese and pecans! Thanks! 🙂

  47. hands down this was the most delicious thing i have ever ate

  48. This was the best banana bread in the history of the world, I’m sure. My gosh! I don’t even LIKE bananas. I think I will request this for my birthday cake, next year. Wow!!

  49. I have this in the oven now as a bundt cake for the first time using this. It smells so good and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks so much.

  50. This is the most delishious bread that I have ever made. Can not keep it around, family and friends eat it up! Yummy stuff

  51. Making this now, smellls delicious!

  52. This recipe is packed with some of my favorite ingredients. I’m sure I will love texture with the cream cheese!

  53. Sounded so good and with such rave reviews…just had to make it! It’s in the oven now and I added a few (okay, one cup!!) of chocolate chips.

  54. There are many comments here and maybe somebody already mentioned it. At the top it says Prep Time: 30 HOURS! Typo? Hopefully! I hope to copy the recipe and make it soon!

  55. Carol, that would definitely be cause for alarm! I’ve corrected the time. Let’s chalk it up to the curse of a pull-down menu. 😉

  56. Thanks for the recipe. I made this on Sunday and I got rave reviews! I was under the impression that this would be a sinfully rich and decadent banana bread but surprisingly it was light, not too sweet and had a mild banana flavour. It was a nice contrast to the pecan sugar topping which really set this apart from other recipes. Definitely a keeper!

  57. Baked this today and its truly a keeper. The crunchy top is the best and the toasted pecans. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂

  58. Thanks for posting this recipe, I was able to try it out and it was DELICIOUS!

  59. I just throw the very overripe bananas in the freezer in their skin. Tip: once frozen, put store them all in one jumbo plastic bag or you’re likely to find them scattered throughout the freezer in our garage. Last evening I made these (one recipe = 5 small loaves) and while loving crunchy, cinnamon streusel, the topping looked/smelled overdone after only 1/3 of the baking time. Covered with foil and finished baking. Over the years I’ve made countless banana cakes/muffins/breads. This has a lovely texture. My fav of all time is a banana sheet cake as it takes far less fat and sugar than the others. Will definitely adapt this and make it in flatter pans as the cream cheese added a delightful texture. Yummy!

  60. I made this a while back and got rave reviews! Everyone loved it especially the topping. Its definitely up there as one of my best quick bread recipes!

  61. I don’t even have to make this right away and can already claim this as my favorite banana bread recipe BECAUSE of the cream cheese! Yum-o!

  62. I LOVE a good banana bread. I also eat cream cheese by the spoonful…I just discovered what I think might be my all-time favorite banana bread recipe, so I might just have to try adding cream cheese to that batter and see how it turns out!

  63. Hi, Jennifer,

    I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times and can’t seem to get the top where it looks as good as yours. I did change to 3 8×4 pans the 2nd time to help the bread bake a bit faster to avoid the over baking on the top and tented it for most of the baking time toward the end. Though the top didn’t get as brown or crumbly as the first time, it still didn’t look as delectable and moist as yours. Rather dry and crumbly. I did “cover” the first loaves with a cream cheese frosting, slightly thinned, from your Hummingbird Cake recipe and that was a big hit with the recipients but I’d still like to get this one to look and hopefully turn out as good as yours. Any suggestions?

    • Hi, Linda. Is it possible your oven temperature is off? That’s a common problem. Are you baking in the middle of the oven? Also, are you altering the recipe in any way? If not, check the freshness of your ingredients. If you’re just having problems with the topping being dry, try increasing the amount of brown sugar or butter.

  64. Am making this for the first time, I like a strong banana flavor,
    wondering if a 1 1/2 cups will be enough?

    If I add 2 1/2 cups, will it ruin the cake?

    • Bananas add liquid to the batter, so that much of an increase will definitely make a difference. I think there is plenty of flavor with the recipe as is, but I realize that’s just a preference.

  65. I just made this tonight and it was sooooooo GOOD! I will be making this again. The only thing I did different is add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter and didn’t add the pecans to the topping only because I forgot and used them all in the cake but it was awesome anyway.

  66. Best banana bread ever!

  67. Very disappointed in this banana bread. Not moist at all. Will not make again.

    • Then you did something wrong bc I’ve made it twice with rave reviews. It is the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted. Now I want to make it all the time.

  68. Just pulled it out of the oven and it was smelling AMAZING as it was cooking! Family couldn’t wait for it to cool completely so it hot and DELICIOUS!! I have a bunch of smiles and “can I have some more”!! Thanks!!!!

  69. I would love to try this but will it still come out ok if I leave out the nuts? Do you need to change the ratios of anything in the recipe to balance taking out the nuts?

    • Hi, Christina. You can omit the nuts. I wouldn’t worry about making an adjustment to the bread, but you may need to alter the streusel topping a bit. I’d start with half of the half the amount of butter and flour in the topping and then add more if needed to make it until it’s crumbly enough to sprinkle on top of the bread.

  70. I’m about to make this now…Is that salted or unsalted butter?

  71. Have bananas waiting in the fridge for this perfect cream cheese banana bread! Will make it today to take to a baby shower! Thank you, perfect timing!

  72. Ready to try some of the recipes 

  73. I made this yesterday and we had it for breakfast this morning. WOW! So good!
    I normally am not crazy about banana nut bread because I usually find it rather dry, but because of the cream cheese the bread was moist, but not gooey. Plenty of banana taste, but not overwhelming. I had 4 medium bananas I had let get almost to the point they were over-ripe, so I had put them in the freezer. Pulled them out, thawed them for about 10 minutes, cut off the end of the banana and squeezed them (juice and all) into a liquid measuring cup. Perfect amount.
    Jennifer, your recipes are always great. Thank you for creating your website.

  74. Just made this. My house smells yummy! Couldn’t wait to let them cool, (I made muffins instead of a loaf), and ate them warm. Hands down, best banana bread I’ve ever tasted! The recipe is now in my coveted recipe box. Good stuff!

  75. Delicious!  16 mini loaves baked at 350 for 20 min

  76. First time ever baking from scratch, what a Hit! My family Loved it. It was very moist & baked Pretty.😛 Sent pics to love ones and they can’t wait to sink their teeth in it. 😁 So excited, totally missed the topping, 😅 made a white glaze but still delicious. Thanx 4 sharing.

  77. I’ve made this recipe a hundred times since finding it new serval years ago. Then I found out I had celiac and made it using gluten free allpurpose flour(Pamela’s and bobs red mill cup for cup are best) and I’ve now made it another hundred or so times but gluten free. This is a fantastic recipe and you can modify in many ways. I’ve us s the muffins as a base for cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I’ve made it without the struestel topping and just topped with walnuts. No matter how I mess with it the bread part is moist and delicious! Don’t be scared to added more of less Banana. I’ve been short a banana and had an extra one or two many times and it comes out amazing still! This is my favorite go to banana bread or muffin recipe

    • I’m so glad you like the bread, Heather! It’s great to hear how versatile and forgiving it is, too.

    • Have you tried this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill GF All-Purpose Baking Flour?

      When you used Pamela’s and the cup for cup, do they have the Xanthan Gum? I LOVE Banana bread, tried just the Bob
      s Red Mill 1 to 1 all purpose (not this recipe) when I first found out I was allergic to wheat (Dec. 2015) It ended up being a dense brick. OK taste but maybe 1/2-3/4″ high, so never tried again. I’ve found I don’t like the flavor of the Xanthan Gum or anything with the Amaranth and am allergic to Coconut. So have been dying for my Banana Bread fixes.

  78. In the oven now…stay tuned!

  79. Have you tried freezing this?

  80. I just made this. It’s so good. Definitely the best bananna bread I’ve ever had. I’ll keep this one close!

  81. There seems to be a lot of sugar in this recipe plus the sweetness of banana. Can you cut it down by half?

  82. OMG. I just made this banana bread! I made it for my husband because he likes banana bread better than I do BUT…BUT…this recipe is wonderful!
    thank you!

  83. I don’t ever make comments but…This banana bread is da bomb! I made the recipe for probably the 15 th time yesterday. I don’t bake in loaf pans but put all the batter in a 9×13 pan, sprinkle on topping and bake 75 minutes. Perfect every time. This time I added dried cranberries and pecans. OMGosh it’s wonderful! Thank you for this recipe!

  84. I made this as is, and it was amazing. Next time I will add more cinnamon and make one bread.

    Thanks for a great recipe.

  85. I made this for a friend, and it was the best she ever ate. This definitely a keeper. The only problem I had was getting the bread out, it stuck to the bottom in one spot. The first time I made it, it came out great, Next time I may try parchment paper. Amazing recipe!

  86. I want to make 1 loaf. How many T of butter do I use in the bread portion?

  87. I made this a couple of days ago after seeing you post it on Instagram. It was incredible! I will definitely be making it again. 

  88. I really really hope you can give us the metric conversion of this recipe

  89. Do you think cutting down the sugar to 1-1/2 cups will compromise the recipe?

  90. So excited about this recipe but it was was waaay to sweet crumbly and more like cake than bread not a fan of the topping!!!!

  91. By far the best banana bread I have ever made. It is now the only one I make and have many friends who request it. I always have bananas in the freezer ready just for this bread. And it freezes amazingly well.

  92. I have been making your version of this recipe since I first came across it 9 years ago. It’s my husband’s preferred birthday dessert! Just wanted to say thanks 🙂

  93. Sending RAVES, from Sherman Oaks, California. I knew that for our small household, that I would be baking half of this recipe. But then I went further, and turned your half recipe into 6 “Texas” sized muffins. These turned out perfectly, and yesterday’s breakfast was stellar. I did manage to share with our besties, and the remaining 2 muffins are in the freezer. The cream cheese addition is brilliant, and makes for a unique flavor and look to the muffin. When looking at the interior, it has a slightly whiter color, which you might think would mean a very light texture…but when you bite into it you get such moistness. We are sold on this recipe, and thank you for sharing.

  94. Has anyone tried to freeze this bread? My bananas are ripe right now, but wanted to take to an event next week, so I was thinking I’d bake now and freeze for later.

  95. Hi, Ive been thinking of trying this out. Is it possible to half the recipe? 

  96. This is my go to recipe for the best banana nut bread, I get so many compliments on how moist it is and on the cinnamon/ sugar topping just makes so delicious!

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