This Cream Cheese Chocolate Banana Bread recipe combines moist chocolate banana bread with a tangy cheesecake-like filling. It’s chocolatey, tangy, and moist. This recipe is sure to become a family favorite!
Grab those overripe bananas and make this Cream Cheese Chocolate Banana Bread! Moist chocolate banana bread with swirls of cheesecake-like filling. The chocolate banana bread tastes like it has cheesecake baked in thanks to the cream cheese! The creamy texture of the cream cheese complements the chocolate banana bread so well and adds a depth of flavor that will make you back for another slice! This is a bakery-worthy quickbread perfect for breakfast or dessert. Soft, fluffy, easy to make, and tastes amazing! Once you make this recipe, you will see how decadent it is.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD
- It is pretty easy to make and a great way to use your overripe bananas
- Cream cheese and banana bread are basically best friends. The cream cheese complements the chocolate banana bread so well.
- The texture is thick with a crusty edge and a soft, moist center.
- For more flavor and texture, you can add in chopped pecans or walnuts.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES
Banana – Use very ripe bananas with some brown spots. Those will be sweetened perfectly with maximum flavor. Mash these really well using a fork or a potato masher.
Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter, but unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content in the recipe. If you’re using salted butter, skip the salt.
Eggs – Bring the eggs to room temp for better incorporation into the batter. If you forget to take them out of the fridge ahead of time, then pop the eggs in warm water for ten minutes. Also, make sure you’re using large eggs!
Cream Cheese – Make sure you’re using bricks full-fat cream cheese and not the cream cheese spread.
Flour – No need for fancy flour, regular all-purpose flour works great in this recipe.
Cocoa – Grab unsweetened cocoa powder or dutch process cocoa powder. Do not use sweetened cocoa powder.
Leavening Agent – This recipe uses baking soda and baking powder.
Sugar – This recipe uses 2 types of sugar, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, both work perfectly for this recipe.
Chocolate Chips – You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. I don’t recommend milk chocolate chip because it will make this too sweet.
Salt – This will do the job of balancing out the flavor.
Vanilla – a lil bit of vanilla extract enhances the flavors. Don’t skip it.
BAKING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
(Check my favorite baking tools and equipment here!)
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- A whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Parchment paper
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THIS CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD
(Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions)
STEP 1 – Prepare the oven and loaf pan
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, and set aside. Let the excess hang over the sides to form a sling so you can easily lift the Banana Bread from the loaf pan.
STEP 2 – Make the Cream Cheese Filling
Make sure your cream cheese is soft at room temperature.
In a medium bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar at medium to low speed until soft. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, then mix just until combined. Don’t overwork the mixture.
STEP 3 – Make the Banana Bread Batter
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the overripe banana with a fork until smooth. Add in the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined for about 3 minutes.
Gradually add in the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the wet ingredients (banana mixture). mix until just combined and no more flour is visible. Don’t overwork the batter! Then, fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula
STEP 4 – Assemble and Bake
Pour half of the chocolate banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, then spoon half of the cream cheese over the top of the chocolate banana bread batter and spread evenly. Spread the remaining banana bread batter, drop the remaining cream cheese batter in large dollops, then swirl it with a butter knife to make big swirls.
Bake at 350F for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Then, allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing.
Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Lift the banana bread from the loaf pan and transfer it to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD
- Make sure four is spooned and leveled the flour. Do not scoop and pack the flour. By doing this, you will yield too much flour and make the batter dry. 1 cup flour = 125 grams.
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a kitchen scale is so much more accurate than cup measurements.
- Wait until this cream cheese chocolate banana bread cools completely before cutting into it. If it is warm, it will fall apart.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. When adding in the dry ingredients, only mix or fold the mixture until no more flour is visible.
- Whisk the wet ingredients well for 2-3 minutes, to bring more air into the batter.
- If the top of your banana bread is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with a piece of aluminum foil for the remaining baking time to prevent excessive browning.
HERE’S HOW TO SERVE AND STORE THE LEFTOVERS
I highly recommend enjoying this Cream Cheese Chocolate Banana Bread warm, fresh from the oven, or on the same day you bake it. It has the best texture and flavor on the first day.
Store your leftovers in an airtight container or securely wrapped in plastic for up to 2 days at room temperature. If you’re in a hot or humid environment or aiming for an extended shelf life, I recommend refrigerating it.
You can also freeze the leftovers. Wrap each banana bread slice with plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag. It will last for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Cream Cheese Chocolate Banana Bread
This Cream Cheese Chocolate Banana Bread recipe combines moist chocolate banana bread with a tangy cheesecake-like filling. It’s chocolatey, tangy, and moist. This recipe is sure to become a family favorite!
Ingredients
Cream Cheese
- 226g (8oz) cream cheese
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Chocolate Banana Bread
- 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (about 2 medium banana) mashed banana
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 110g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 67g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 156g (1+1/4 cups, spoon and level method) all-purpose flour
- 43g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 130g (3/4 cup) chocolate chips
Instructions
STEP 1 – Prepare the oven and loaf pan
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, and set aside. Let the excess hang over the sides to form a sling so you can easily lift the Banana Bread from the loaf pan.
STEP 2 - Make the Cream Cheese Filling
Make sure your cream cheese is soft at room temperature.
In a medium bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar at medium-low speed until soft. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, then mix just until combined. Don’t overwork the mixture.
STEP 3 - Make the Banana Bread Batter
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the overripe banana with a fork until smooth. Add in the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined for about 3 minutes.
Gradually add in the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the wet ingredients (banana mixture). mix until just combined and no more flour is visible. Don’t overwork the batter! Then, fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula
STEP 4 - Assemble and Bake
Pour half of the chocolate banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, then spoon half of the cream cheese over the top of the chocolate banana bread batter and spread evenly. Spread the remaining banana bread batter, drop the remaining cream cheese batter in large dollops, then swirl it with a butter knife to make big swirls.
Bake at 350F for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Then, allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing.
Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Lift the banana bread from the loaf pan and transfer it to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
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If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Send me a message or write a comment below.
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Happy Baking!
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