Velvety soft brown sugar banana bread is swirled with a thick ribbon of cinnamon sugar and topped with a butterscotch drizzle. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!
I’m pretty sure we all know by now that banana bread, simply put, is the best. It’s one of my all-time favorite desserts, and come Winter, I’m notorious for baking a loaf at the beginning of the week and living off of it until there’s nothing left but crumbs… then I eat those too and make another loaf. It’s a delicious process I’m proud to be a part of.
Now that I’ve officially owned up to having a serious banana bread addiction, you may be wondering, pondering, and scratching your head as to why I hardly ever post banana bread… The truth? I am – when it comes to banana bread – what some might call a repeat offender. Take this Brown Butter Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread for instance. I make that beauty at least once a month! And this Milk and Honey Banana Bread… pssh! I need it in my life on the regular. When I’m craving something a little lighter? I bake this Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread and dive right in. When you have a professional crew like that… it’s hard to play around with new recipes. So stinkin’ hard.
But then…
Last week I made this banana bread and after one bite I was like “WHOA… this one is a must share!” The brown sugar… the cinnamon swirl… the butterscotch glaze… it’s all like >>> BADA-BOOM in your face wonderful. Plus, it’s pretty. Majorly majorly pretty. We can thank the bright and beautiful butterscotch glaze for that.
The banana bread base itself is soft, luscious, and incredibly moist. There are 3 whole bananas in the batter PLUS a half cup of yogurt. These two ingredients give the banana bread their velvety soft texture. I prefer to use whole milk/full fat yogurt here (the more fat; the softer the bread) but a lower fat variety will work if that’s all you have on hand. As far as the bananas go, the riper the better! I used incredibly dark, mushy, gross looking bananas for this bread, because, well, you know —-> ugly nanas = the tastiest bread. You can quote me on that.
The batter is made with lots of brown sugar. This brings a rich, slightly malty sweetness to the bread that I just love! I tested this recipe with light and dark brown sugar, and while they both tasted delightful, I have to say we really enjoyed the light brown sugar best. That said, if you’re aching to make this and can only find dark brown sugar, go for it! The bread will just have a slighter deeper molasses tone to it. Nothing wrong with that 😉
I hope you enjoy this decadent dolled-up banana bread as much as we did! xoxo
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl Butterscotch Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup butter) unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (preferably full-fat)
- 3 medium bananas, VERY ripe and mashed
For the cinnamon swirl:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the butterscotch glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
- 1 tablespoons canola, vegetable, or coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla; beat well.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the wet mixture until smooth.
- Fold in the yogurt and mashed bananas. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
- Spread half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan, sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top, then add remaining batter, smooth the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make your butterscotch glaze...
- Place the butterscotch chips and oil in a small microwaveable bowl. Heat on medium-powder in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted.
- Drizzle glaze over cake and allow it to set. Cut into slices and serve!
Eileen Gavin says
Made this. Beautiful simple recipe. Had no butterscotch chips and made my own brown butter praline glacé icing for the top. A drizzle would have been enough . Cake is super soft. Put coconut and vanilla yogurt in it as I didn’t have plain yogurt . This made it sweeter.
Fiona says
The recipe was easy to follow and tasted really good, but, I couldn’t get it to cook in the middle. Even after longer than the hour recommended bake time. The outside kept cooking but the inside didn’t, not sure what I need to do to avoid this
TK says
Would the cooking time and temp vary if i bake this in a smaller bread pan? I have it in the oven right now and the outside is definitely cooked but the inside is raw. Help!
bakerbynature says
Yes, the cooking time would definitely vary. Just keep an eye on it, and cook it until the center is no longer wet. You can cover the top with aluminum foil so it doesn’t get too brown.
Michele W says
YUM! Made this yesterday and the family ate the whole loaf in a matter of a couple of minutes and asked me to make another one!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
holy lord baby Jesus. This bread is perfect. So pretty and moist and full of extra tastiness with that cinnamon swirl and the drizzle! oh the drizzle
Samantha @FerraroKitchen says
Ooohh the swirl and butterscotch sound insane!!
Amanda says
The butterscotch glaze looks amazing!!!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
This is my kind of banana bread, I’m loving that cinnamon swirl!
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen says
This banana bread looks incredible! It would be a perfect treat to enjoy on Christmas morning. Pinned!