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My family is obsessed with this cinnamon crunch banana bread recipe! It’s super moist and fluffy in the middle with a gorgeous crunch topping.
In my household, banana bread and cinnamon rolls are two of our favorite foods, so making a loaf of cinnamon crunch banana bread is an almost weekly staple.
It’s similar to a classic banana bread, but with two key differences. There is a swirl of cinnamon in the middle, and the top has the most gorgeous crunchy cinnamon sugar. It’s so good, I make two loaves at a time because it does NOT last long!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It’s secretly healthy! This entire recipe requires just two tablespoons of sugar and uses grain-free flours.
- Made with pantry staples. There is no butter or eggs needed, which are pretty standard for most banana bread recipes (except for the vegan gluten free banana bread!).
- Perfect texture. It’s soft and moist in the middle but has a lovely crunchy topping. It’s full of cinnamon flavor and has hints of banana without being overpowering.
Key Ingredients
- Almond flour. Blanched almond flour is preferred for the light and fluffy crumb. Avoid using almond meal as it will yield a gritty and dense loaf.
- Baking powder. Leavening agent to give the bread some fluffiness and rise.
- Salt– Brings out the overall sweetness of the bread.
- Brown sugar. Provides sweetness and a subtle molasses flavor. Coconut sugar will work.
- Bananas. Overripe and spotty bananas are a must for banana bread!
- Coconut oil. Refined coconut oil measured in its melted state. If you like, you can use unsalted butter.
- Eggs. Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract. Gives the bread a subtle vanilla flavor.
- Cinnamon crunch topping. I use a mix of white sugar and cinnamon.
How to make cinnamon crunch banana bread
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the batter. Start by adding the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl, add the bananas, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Step 2- Make the topping. Whisk together the cinnamon and sugar until combined.
Step 3- Assemble. Transfer 1/3 of the batter into a lined loaf pan, then sprinkle 3/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter on top and sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar.
Step 4- Bake the bread for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing and serving.
Arman’s recipe tips
- The riper your bananas are, the sweeter the bread will be. If you prefer a sweeter bread, you can add an extra tablespoon or two of sugar to the batter.
- Oven makes and models differ, so you may need to bake for a few extra minutes. I found 45 minutes to be perfect in my oven (I have a generic Miele).
- Do not overbake the bread, as it will continue to ‘bake’ as it cools in the pan.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 7 days.
To freeze: Place slices of the bread in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe has not been tested using an alternative flour. If you cannot tolerate almond flour, you can make coconut flour banana bread or oatmeal banana bread and just add the crunch topping to it.
You can substitute the banana for pumpkin puree or unsweetened applesauce. You will need to add some sweetener or maple syrup to compensate for the lack of sweetness.
Yes! I tested this with flax eggs (ground flaxseed mixed with water) and it turned out just as well.
Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs or flax eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cinnamon filling and topping
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, add the cinnamon and sugar and mix
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate mixing bowl, add your bananas, eggs, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract and mix well. Combine your wet and dry ingredients and mix well. If the batter is too thick, add some milk or maple syrup. In a small bowl, whisk the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl and topping.
- Transfer 1/3 of the batter to the lined pan. Sprinkle 3/4 of the cinnamon/sugarr mixture. Fill with the remaining banana bread batter. Top with remaining cinnamon and sugar.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, checking around the 40-minute mark. Once a skewer comes out clean, remove from the oven.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan completely, before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More banana bread recipes
- Keto banana bread
- Eggless banana bread
- 3 Ingredient banana bread
- Flourless banana bread
- Blueberry banana bread
Originally published December 2021, updated and republished December 2024
I always have overripe bananas lingering and love making banana bread. This came out great and I love the crunchy topping! Glad to add this to my banana bread rotation.
For this recipe-does it change something if I use flax eggs?
Hi Arman!
This recipe sounds delicious, but…I was so happy to see that only 2 Tbsp. Of brown sugar was used in the actual bread. As I read further, though, I noticed that another 1/2 cup of sugar was needed for the cinnamon swirl. I need to limit refined sugars. Is there any other way to add the sweetness? Can I use honey or maple syrup, or will this be too runny? I really enjoy your recipes and am always looking forward to getting them. Wish you had desserts or cakes that used less sugar.
Trust me when I say that I put cinnamon everywhere. I like it so much really. This bread is perfect for me.
You are a bloody genius!!!!
what can you replace the bananas with.?
You could try pumpkin or applesauce 🙂
This recipe looks delicious! How much apple sauce to substitute for bananas?
This is The Best cinnamon banana bread! I did add a little monk fruit to make it a bit sweeter. I’m gen x so I grew up with this type of bread very sweet so that’s what my taste buds want. No other changes, and oh my goodness! So good!
Can I add protein powder to this recipe? If so, I assume I’d substitute the protein powder for flour but how much protein powder can I use? Love your recipes Arman.
This is delicious! I didn’t use the entire amount of sugar/cinnamon mix and it was still plenty (used maybe 2/3 of it).
I just made this for a potluck and it was a huge hit. Usually people avoid the healthier options, but this was scarfed down over the regular blueberry muffins! I mixed up half turbinado and half Besti brown sugar substitute, but I only ended up using about 60% of it – it was still plenty sweet for everyone. I also adjusted for high altitude and did 375 degrees for 39 minutes.
This is the BEST Banana bread recipe! My banana breads are usually a huge fail, but this came out perfect! So moist and delicious! Definitely a keeper!
I am not sure what happened but my bread didn’t raise at all. As this was the first time I made it I am not sure if it was my baking powder or if the batter was to thick. It was more of a spreadable consistency. That said the flavor was awesome. I will try again with fresh baking powder and make it a thinner consistency. I gave it a 5 star for the flavor
Your recipes are always wonderful, but I cannot locate where I can print them. My recipes open in your app and I don’t see a print icon there. What am I missing?
Everyone loved it! ❤️