This strawberry banana bread is soft, moist, and slathered with a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting made with strawberry jam. The loaf is studded with chunks of fresh strawberry, making every bite sweet and fruity.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's an easy, no-mixer batter that comes together quickly with simple ingredients.
- Oil in the batter keeps the texture consistently soft, even after a day or two.
- The thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting makes it feel a little more special than your average banana bread. I love topping banana bread with cream cheese frosting, although I could eat the frosting with a spoon!
Ingredient Notes
- Make sure your bananas are very ripe. They should smell sweet and have plenty of brown spots, or even be fully browned. That's when they bring the most flavor and natural sweetness.
- A neutral oil like vegetable or canola helps keep the loaf soft and tender. You can swap it for melted butter if you don't have oil on hand.
- Using both light brown sugar and granulated sugar gives the banana bread adds extra moisture and a richer flavor.
- I always add a splash of vinegar to my banana bread. It's the secret ingredient! It helps break down the gluten formed in the flour so the loaf turns out extremely moist. Apple cider vinegar is my go-to, but regular white vinegar works too.
- Be careful when measuring your all purpose flour, since it's easy to add too much if it's packed into a measuring cup. For the most accurate result, use a kitchen scale and measure in grams. If you're using measuring cups, loosen the flour in the bag first, lightly spoon it into the cup, and level it off with a knife.
- Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese for the frosting, and don't forget to bring it to room temperature for the most creamy texture!
- I used store-bought strawberry jam for the frosting as a shortcut, but feel free to make your own if you have time (or leftovers to use up).
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
How to Ripen Bananas Quickly
If your bananas aren't quite ripe yet, place them (unpeeled) on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F for about 20-30 minutes, until the skins darken and turn black. Let them cool, then scoop out the softened fruit and use as needed.
Expert Baking Tips
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. You can use a fork or potato masher. Mine were so overripe that they broke down with a whisk.
Step 2: Whisk in the sugars and oil, then mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and vinegar.
Step 3: Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. When there are just a few dry streaks of flour remaining, fold the in chopped strawberries until the streaks just disappear.
Step 4: Pour the batter into a 9x5" loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Folding until the dry patches of flour barely disappear prevents overmixing so the banana bread stays nice and tender.
Banana bread batter is notoriously thick and wet, so it takes a very long time to bake. The moisture from the strawberries makes this one take even longer to bake than a plain loaf, so be patient and check with your toothpick (or knife) often!
Step 5: Let the strawberry banana bread cool in the hot pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack. Make sure it cools completely before adding the frosting.
Step 6: For the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, unsalted butter, jam, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar on low, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 7: Spread the cream cheese frosting all over the loaf, slice, and dig in!
More Banana Bread Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Banana Bread with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 9X5-inch loaf pan 1 pound capacity
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Ingredients
Banana Bread
- 450 grams overripe bananas 4-5 bananas
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams light brown sugar
- 112 grams oil neutral, like canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 40 grams vinegar
- 240 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 140 grams chopped strawberries
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 grams full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 56 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 90 grams strawberry jam
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 90 grams powdered sugar
Instructions
Banana Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine. You can use a fork, potato masher, or even a whisk if your bananas are very soft.450 grams overripe bananas
- Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil to the mashed bananas and whisk until fully combined. Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and vinegar, whisking until the mixture is smooth and cohesive.150 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams light brown sugar, 112 grams oil, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 40 grams vinegar
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula. When a few streaks of flour are still visible, fold in the chopped strawberries and continue mixing just until the batter comes together and no dry spots remain. Be careful not to overmix.240 grams all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, 140 grams chopped strawberries
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil for the remaining bake time.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully lift it out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the room temperature cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.113 grams full fat cream cheese, 56 grams unsalted butter
- Add the jam and vanilla and mix until combined.90 grams strawberry jam, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the powdered sugar, scraping down the bowl as needed, until smooth. Mix in a tiny drop of red food coloring for a soft pink color if desired.90 grams powdered sugar
- Once the bread is completely cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Slice and serve.
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