This mini cinnamon banana bread recipe is perfect for weeknight desserts or parties. These mini banana bread loaves are moist and tender, with a sweet cinnamon swirl that adds a kick of extra flavor and a lovely look.
We love banana flavor in sweet treats. That fruity, tropical flavor pairs so well with a wide variety of other flavors and textures, making it easy to create delicious desserts like Bananas Foster bread pudding or banana nut muffins.
Of course, it’s not just their flavor. It’s also the great texture they add to any dessert. The extra moisture from bananas makes baked goods so soft and tender, and sweet treats are always a great way to use up bananas that are too ripe for snacking.
One of our favorite ways to use bananas is in classic banana bread. This time-honored treat is a universal hit with everyone, and it’s so easy to make! We gave the classic a little makeover by creating mini loaves and adding a swirl of cinnamon. It’s so easy and so delicious!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: This recipe uses basic baking ingredients found in almost any kitchen.
- Easy: This is a simple recipe that only takes a few simple steps and about 40 minutes from start to finish.
- Classic Flavor: These loaves might be mini, but their classic banana flavor is not!
- Customizable: It’s easy to tweak this recipe to make it your own.
- Versatile: These make a great addition to breakfast or brunch, a delicious afternoon snack, or a sweet after-dinner treat.
- Perfect for Overripe Bananas: This is the perfect recipe to use up those bananas that are too ripe for snacking.
- Great for Meal Prep: Make extra and store these freezer-friendly loaves for future use!
Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Variations
- Add Nuts: Add your favorite nuts to create delicious variations like this banana macadamia nut bread.
- Baking Chips: Add either chocolate chips or peanut butter chips to these loaves. Both are classic pairings with banana.
- Frosted: Try topping your loaves with cream cheese frosting for a classic variation.
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour to create a gluten-free version.
- Sour Cream: You can use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream to add protein. The flavor and texture are exactly the same.
How to Make Mini Cinnamon Banana Bread
Step 1: Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Then, beat in the eggs, followed by the sour cream and vanilla.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 3: Mix the bananas into the batter until combined.
Step 4: Mix the cinnamon swirl ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 5: Divide half the batter between six prepared mini loaf pans. Then, add half the cinnamon mixture and swirl.
Step 6: Repeat the process with the other half of the batter and cinnamon mixture.
Step 7: Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 8: Let the loaves cool until warm and enjoy!
Tips
- Spray your mini muffin pans with nonstick spray just before filling them to ensure the spray coats them evenly, rather than pooling at the bottom.
- Make the cinnamon swirl just before using it. It needs to be warm to swirl easily.
- Mix your batter until just combined. Overmixing will make the bread tough and dense.
- Always check your leaveners to ensure they’re fresh. Stale leaveners result in flat, dense baked goods.
- Use the ripest bananas possible. Our photos use yellow bananas because they’re pretty, but those ugly, soft, brown bananas are a much better choice!
Mini Cinnamon Banana Bread FAQ
Not all mini loaf pans are the same size. Fill your pans about ¾ full of batter to ensure they have room to rise, no matter their size.
If your banana bread is tough or dense, it’s most likely because the batter was overmixed, your leaveners were too old, or you used too much flour. First, be very careful when measuring your flour. Second, ensure your leaveners are fresh for the best rise. Finally, mix your batter until everything is moistened and no further.
To properly measure flour, loosely spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Never use your measuring cup to scoop the flour directly from the container, as this compacts it.
Unless they’ve gone bad, bananas can never be too ripe for banana bread. In fact, the riper they are, the better. Your bananas should have dark brown or black spots on the peel at a minimum. However, riper is always better. Those super soft, dark brown bananas that taste so awful if you try to snack on them are what give banana bread its concentrated, sweet banana flavor.
Because super ripe bananas are best for banana bread, it’s important to distinguish them from bananas that have gone bad. If your bananas have mold on the skin, are oozing liquid, or have an off smell, they’ve gone bad and shouldn’t be used.
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Mini Cinnamon Banana Bread
Ingredients
Banana Bread
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 medium bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
Cinnamon Swirl
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and right before filling, spray (6) mini loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
Cinnamon Swirl
- In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon together. *Make right after making the banana batter. You do not want the cinnamon filling sitting and getting cold.
Banana Bread
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add eggs and beat until combined then beat in sour cream and vanilla.
- Next, add flour, baking soda and salt then beat just until combined.
- Stir in mashed bananas and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter half way in each mini loaf pan, followed by ½ the cinnamon swirl, then add the remaining batter, followed by the remaining cinnamon swirl. Use a toothpick to swirl the cinnamon mixture after each addition.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Tip: make sure the cinnamon swirl mixture is warm. If it sits too long before swirling it into the batter, it will not be as smooth to swirl.
Notes
- Store for up to 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Wrap loaves in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container, or wrap them in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for the same amount of time.
- Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Spray your mini muffin pans with nonstick spray just before filling them to ensure the spray coats them evenly, rather than pooling at the bottom.
- Make the cinnamon swirl just before using it. It needs to be warm to swirl easily.
- Mix your batter until just combined. Overmixing will make the bread tough and dense.
- Always check your leaveners to ensure they’re fresh. Stale leaveners result in flat, dense baked goods.
- Use the ripest bananas possible. Our photos use yellow bananas because they’re pretty, but those ugly, soft, brown bananas are a much better choice!
