Cinnamon Crumb Banana Bread (Print Version)

Moist banana bread with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar crumb topping. Easy to make and perfect for breakfast.

# What You Need:

→ Banana Bread Base

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking soda
03 - ¼ tsp salt
04 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
09 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ¼ cups)
10 - ¼ cup plain yogurt or sour cream

→ Cinnamon Crumb Topping

11 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
12 - ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
13 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
14 - ¼ tsp salt
15 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in melted butter and stir until crumbly. Set aside.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon for the bread.
04 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla.
05 - Mix in mashed bananas and yogurt (or sour cream) until just combined.
06 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until no flour streaks remain—do not overmix.
07 - Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon crumb topping over the batter. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
08 - Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between the moist tender bread and crispy sweet topping is absolutely addictive
  • It uses up those spotty bananas you might otherwise throw away
  • Your kitchen will smell like a cozy bakery for hours
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will make your bread dense and tough instead of tender
  • The crumb topping sinks slightly during baking which is completely normal
  • Room temperature ingredients blend more easily and create better texture
03 -
  • Use bananas that are almost completely brown with spots for the sweetest most intense flavor
  • Let the crumb topping sit while making the batter so it firms up slightly
  • Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots