Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread Recipe

I’ve been thanking my lucky stars lately that I don’t live in the Midwest anymore . . . it is downright balmy in Utah this winter compared to the recent temperatures back in Iowa where we used to live. My warm + cozy mountain west-dwelling heart goes out to those of you freezing your buns off in chillier parts of the country. I will never miss the feeling of my snot freezing inside of my nose when I’d step outside and take my first breath of Arctic Iowan winter air. Remember that scene from Day After Tomorrow when the helicopter goes down and the pilot opens the door and instantly freezes solid? That is exactly how I felt every winter day in Iowa, leaving my house to go to work. I tell you, there are some things I really miss about living in the Midwest . . . but the horrific winter weather will never be one of those things. Death first.

Anyway, I don’t know about you, but when it’s chilly outside, I just want to spend every day baking. Maybe it’s the extra warmth from the oven that makes it so tempting, or maybe the extra layer of fat it adds around my middle helps to keep me cozy warm in the chilly weather. . . whatever it is, I’ve been spending plenty of time in the kitchen lately. I wanted to use up some overripe bananas the other day, and baked up a loaf of deliciously moist and sweet Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread . . . oh dear. It was sinfully good.

Banana bread is always such a tasty winter comfort food . . . but this loaf is a pumped-up version of the banana bread we all know and love. A thick, sweet, gooey layer of cinnamon sugar is hiding inside and adds an extra punch of flavor. I love the cinnamon and banana flavor combo—why haven’t I tried these two together before? And can you tell I’m working on my photography? Kind of pleased with myself for taking the time to get some decent pictures. And look how fancy I am—I even got some fabric out to make it look like I just happened to be having a nice indoor picnic with my loaf of bread and oh, just happened to take some photos of it. Totally natural, I always place my baked goods on a pristine, shiny plate atop a cheery tablecloth. Bloggers and blog photos = big fat lies.

If you have overripe bananas lying around, you’ve got to give this recipe a try. I don’t want to point any fingers, but a certain child in my house is always requesting bananas yet never finishes them, so I’ve always got a bag full of frozen leftover banana bits in the freezer. This was the perfect use for them—a quick zap in the microwave and they were ready to mash up and breadify.

Yum. Double yum. Triple yum with a side of yum. I think you’ll like this. And if you don’t? I dunno, I guess you can pack it up and send it to me. I’ll be happy to devour a second loaf, because the first one is already gone and I’m feeling a little sad about that.

Recipe adapted from Sandwich Hoss.