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Coffee Cake Banana Bread

Coffee cake banana bread with a thick cinnamon streusel crumb ribbon baked through the center and a deeply golden crumb topping. Moist banana bread with a bakery-style streusel crunch that slices clean.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

banana bread base
  • 3 bananas Ripe bananas, mashed.
  • 0.5 cup butter Softened.
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs Large eggs.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
streusel
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup flour For streusel.
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp butter Cold, cubed.
  • 0.5 cup pecans Optional, chopped.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and prep the pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then grease a 9x5 loaf pan so the loaf releases easily.
Make cinnamon streusel
  1. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon until evenly combined, with no dry pockets.
  2. Cut in the cold cubed butter until the mixture turns into crumbly clumps; it should look sandy and hold shape when pinched.
  3. Stir in chopped pecans if using, then set the streusel aside while you make the batter.
Mix the banana bread batter
  1. Beat the softened butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2–3 minutes, until lighter in color and smoother.
  2. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas, then mix until the batter looks uniform with no large banana streaks.
  3. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt, alternating with sour cream, until just combined and no dry flour remains.
Layer and bake
  1. Pour half the batter into the loaf pan and spread it into an even layer.
  2. Sprinkle half the streusel over the batter so it forms a thick crumb layer.
  3. Pour in the remaining batter and gently smooth the top.
  4. Top with the remaining streusel, pressing it lightly so it stays on the surface.
  5. Bake for 60–70 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick comes out clean and the streusel is deeply golden.

Notes

Pro tip: let the loaf cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing—this helps the streusel ribbon set so it doesn’t crumble apart. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; rewarm slices in the microwave for 10–15 seconds. Freeze baked slices up to 2 months. If you want a lighter dairy swap, use plain low-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for a similar tang and moisture.