Cream Cheese Stuffed Banana Bread

In my household, every time my grandma would make banana or zucchini bread  it was customary to shmear (yes, shmear) it with cream cheese. That's the way I have grown up eating it, and the way I will continue to eat it...until now

I had an epiphany and thought, what if I put the cream cheese INSIDE the banana bread? So I did it, and it was wonderful. I also sprinkled the top with some chopped walnuts, which gave a nice textural balance and is pretty common with banana bread.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Banana Bread
(inspired by the too hot tamales )
- 1 cup brown sugar [*Original recipe calls for white]
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt


Cream cheese filling:
- 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg


Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
To make the loaf batter: cream the butter and sugar in a mixer, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time until combined.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas up really well and add the milk and cinnamon.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, soda, powder, and salt.

Add the bananas to the wet ingredients, and then add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

To make the cream cheese: Whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy with the powdered sugar. Add the milk, vanilla, and egg and blend until evenly combined.

Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan, spread out evenly. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top and spread out evenly. Pour the rest of the banana batter on top and spread evenly.

Top with chopped walnuts if desired. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Enjoy!