Cream Cheese Swirled Banana Zucchini Bread

By On Sep 3, 2023

Overripe bananas and zucchini get used in this delicious and perfectly moist bread. The cream cheese swirl hidden inside is the best part! Enjoy a slice of cream cheese banana zucchini bread fresh out of the oven and thank me later.

If you love quick bread, you’ll have to try some of my other favorites: chocolate zucchini bread, blueberry banana bread, and strawberry quick bread!

Banana Zucchini Bread With Cream Cheese Filling

My little girl loves bananas. But the problem is I get a big bunch every week at the store, which means she can’t eat them fast enough. It’s not always a bad thing because I have over ripe bananas on hand. And since it’s zucchini season I always have that on hand as well. So, when I saw this recipe for banana zucchini bread I knew just the thing to make!

But I decided to add just one thing. Cream cheese. This took the bread to a whole different delicious and amazing level! The bread is moist and baked to perfection and then you have the cream cheese swirled in the center of the bread. It tastes like cheesecake! I didn’t think that banana bread or zucchini bread could get any better, but this is the ultimate combination. It’s one of the best quick bread recipes that I have had to date! I know you’ll love it just as much.

Ingredients Needed

Get ready to enjoy a fantastic treat with this cream cheese banana zucchini bread! It’s a tasty mix of ripe bananas, fresh zucchini, and a creamy, sweet cream cheese swirl. Each ingredient has a job to make this bread super delicious. (Measurements are in the recipe card below.)

All-Purpose Flour: Used as the base dry ingredient for the bread. Also used to thicken and stabilize the cream cheese swirl mixture!
Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the bread and the cream cheese swirl.
Ground Cinnamon: For some warm spice!
Baking Powder and Soda: The dynamic duo that helps the cream cheese banana zucchini bread rise.
Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the bread. A little goes a long way!
Large Eggs: Add structure and moisture to the bread. They also help to give the cream cheese swirl structure.
Mashed Ripe Bananas: The perfect way to use up overripe bananas!
Canola Oil: So your bread turns out extra tender.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a pleasant vanilla aroma and flavor. I recommend using pure vanilla extract.
Shredded Zucchini: Adds moisture and a subtle earthy flavor.
Cream Cheese: Forms the creamy swirl inside the bread.

How to Make Cream Cheese Banana Zucchini Bread

Not only is this bread easy to make, but it’s a great way to use up overripe bananas and excess summer zucchini! Mix everything up, and then let the oven work its magic!

Preheat Oven, Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with pan spray and, if desired, line with parchment paper leaving 2 inches hanging over both sides. Then set aside.
Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients Separately: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large mixing bowl beat the egg, bananas, oil, and vanilla extract.
Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened. Fold in zucchini. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Cream Cheese Mixture: Prepare the cream cheese swirl by beating together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and flour until smooth. Spoon evenly over the batter in the pan and carefully smooth it with an offset spatula or a rubber scraper. Top with remaining batter.
Bake: Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center. The baking time may be longer, depending on your oven. If the top starts to brown too fast, cover it with a foil tent. Allow bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

4-photo collage of the batter and filling being prepared.

Tips and Tricks

Cream cheese zucchini banana bread is super simple to make, but here are a few extra tips to help you end up with the most dreamy, delicious loaves possible!

Use Overripe Bananas! Any banana bread is a great use of overripe bananas. You can peel them, freeze them, and save them until you have enough for this recipe or any other banana bread that you love. It’s a great way to reduce waste and have extra sweet bananas on hand for any time the craving hits.
Cook Low and Slow: Baking time will vary depending on your oven. Because the baking temperature is lower on this recipe, don’t be surprised if it takes 70-90 minutes for a toothpick to come out clean from the center of the bread. If you remove it from the oven too soon, the top of the bread will sink and you may end up with a gooey loaf.
Mix-Ins: For variation, add some chocolate chips to the bread batter or add some lemon zest and vanilla to the cream cheese layer!
Add Nuts: For some extra texture, fold in some walnuts or pecans!

Top-down view of cream cheese banana zucchini bread.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover bread in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a large ziplock bag for up to 5 days. You may also wrap loaves tightly in plastic wrap before storing it the fridge.

If you would like to freeze this bread, wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. Place in a large ziplock freezer bag. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before removing from the foil and plastic wrap.

Closeup of a slice of cream cheese banana zucchini bread.