Cream Cheese Walnut Banana Bread
Serves 10
20 mins prep
60 mins cook
45 mins Cooling
125 mins total
A classic banana bread, with a cream cheese swirl, and chunks of walnuts, this Cream Cheese Walnut Banana Bread is simple and yummy. Ps you can totally leave out the cream cheese swirl if that isn't your thing.
Banana Bread Batter
Cream Cheese Swirl
Topping
Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
Banana Bread Batter
In a medium pan, add in the frozen bananas. I used 3 large frozen bananas but if yours are a bit smaller, use four. *if you don't have a fresh ripe banana to add in later, add in another banana here.
Cook over medium low heat, stirring and mashing occasionally until all of the excess moisture has evaporated and they just begin to caramelize.
Chop up your choice of nuts and set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the 125 grams of dark brown sugar, 2 eggs, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon until a bit thick and frothy.
Add in the oil and sour cream and whisk again until smooth. Then add in the reduced bananas but weigh them, they should be at least 200 grams.
Then add in one fresh but ripe banana to up the weight to at least 260. Whisk the banana additions into the previous wet ingredients.
Pour in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder as well as 120 grams of the chopped nuts.
Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients and add-ins into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Cream Cheese Swirl
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, salt, and an egg. You can use an electric mixer but try not to whip air into it, you just want a smooth mixture.
Line the loaf pan with a rectangle of parchment that reaches down one long side, across the bottom and up the other long side.
Add about half or slightly less than half of the banana bread batter into the loaf pan.
Dollop about half of the cream cheese mixture over the batter and lightly swirl it into the batter.
Add 3/4 of the remaining batter over the cream cheese swirl. Spoon the remaining cream cheese over the top, then dollop the remaining batter next to the spoonfuls of cream cheese and lightly swirl them together with a knife or spoon.
In a small bowl mix together the remaining 30 grams of brown sugar and remaining 40 grams of chopped nuts. Sprinkle the mixture over the banana bread and lightly swirl it into the top of the loaf.
Bake
Bake the loaf on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The bread also shouldn't wobble when you move the pan.
Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Then use the parchment to lift it out onto a cooling rack and leave it to cool completely before slicing.
Store leftovers, tightly wrapped in an airtight container.