Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumb Topping
The perfect combination of moist banana bread and coffee cake-style crumb topping. This easy recipe creates two loaves with a tender, banana-rich base and an irresistible crunchy, buttery cinnamon topping.
Ingredients
Banana Bread Base
- 3-4 ripe bananas medium or large, with brown spots
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar for banana mixture
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon for bread
- ½ cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour for bread
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sour cream or Greek yogurt
Cinnamon Crumb Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour for topping
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon for topping
- 6 Tbsp cold butter cut into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans or line with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mash the bananas with brown sugar, vanilla extract, and ¾ tsp cinnamon until mostly smooth (a few small chunks are fine). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter and white sugar with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift together 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture gradually, stirring just until combined (flour streaks are okay).
- Fold in sour cream until smooth, then fold in the mashed banana mixture until no banana streaks remain. Don't overmix.
- For the crumb topping: Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Cut cold butter into small cubes and add to the mixture.
- Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.
- Divide batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle all of the crumb topping over both loaves, pressing gently to help it adhere.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil.
- Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife.
Notes
Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze wrapped tightly for up to 3 months.
Variations: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, ¾ cup mini chocolate chips, or ¼ tsp nutmeg or ginger for extra flavor.
Tips: Bananas must be very ripe with brown spots for best flavor. Use cold butter for the topping and softened butter for the batter. Don't skip the cooling time for clean slices.