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Banana bread with the best surprise inside — sweet cream cheese filling

Most people love bagels for their doughy, carby deliciousness. I love bagels solely for the fact that they are a vehicle for at least a solid inch of cream cheese (at least here in New York delis) first thing in the morning.

If you’re a cream cheese lover like me, this bread is for you.

This sweet, albeit healthier, version of banana bread has a hidden layer of cream cheese spread throughout the loaf. Every slice has both the banana bread taste you love with a cheesy bite of cream cheese bliss. It’s like a Danish and banana bread had a baby, and she’s a beauty.

Cream cheese-filled banana bread recipe

Yields 1 loaf

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes | Total time:1 hour

Ingredients:

For the bread

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (can substitute with brown sugar)
  • 2 mashed ripe bananas
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup whole-wheat white flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

For the cream cheese layer

  • 6 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon whole-wheat white flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, sugar, bananas, vanilla and yogurt until smooth.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients for the bread, and stir with a spatula until just combined.
  4. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the cream cheese layer, and beat with a hand-held mixer until smooth.
  5. Transfer 1/2 the bread batter into the loaf pan, and smooth it out with a spatula. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top, and then place the remaining half of the bread batter on top of the cream cheese, spreading it out as evenly as possible.
  6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

More banana bread recipes

Sugar-free banana bread
Vegan banana bread
Cocoa banana bread

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