This Banana Bread with Streusel Topping is soft, moist, and perfectly sweet. The buttery cinnamon-sugar streusel bakes into a golden, crunchy topping that pairs beautifully with the tender banana bread. Enjoy a slice for breakfast, as a snack with coffee, or as a simple dessert everyone will love.
Banana bread is always a favorite, but this Banana Bread with Streusel Topping takes it to the next level. With its soft, moist crumb, rich banana flavor, and a buttery cinnamon-sugar topping that bakes into a crunchy layer, this loaf is equal parts comforting and irresistible. It's the perfect way to use up overripe bananas and transform them into something special.
Its perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack, this recipe is an easy yet impressive way to elevate classic banana bread.
For more banana treats try my eggless banana muffins, banana chocolate chunk muffins or banana and pumpkin muffins.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect texture : Moist, tender banana bread with a crisp, buttery topping.
- Unbelievable Moisture & Flavor: This banana bread stays incredibly moist thanks to the ripe bananas and melted butter.
- The Perfect Streusel Topping: The buttery, crunchy streusel with hints of cinnamon adds an amazing texture and an extra layer of sweetness that completely transforms the bread.
- A Great Use for Ripe Bananas: This easy banana bread recipe is the best way to use any over ripe bananas you have lying around your kitchen counter. The riper they are, the better the flavor.
- Simple and Straightforward: This recipe is incredibly easy to follow, comes together in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
For the banana bread:
- All-purpose flour - The base for a soft but sturdy loaf.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Ensure the bread rises beautifully.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness.
- Ripe bananas - Use very ripe, spotty bananas for the best flavor and moisture.
- Unsalted butter - If using salted butter then skip using salt in the dry ingredients. You can use oil in place of butter as well. Use any neutral tasting oil such as vegetable or canola oil.
- Granulated white sugar - Adds sweetness to the bread.You can use half white sugar and half light brown sugar as well.
- Large Eggs - Bind the batter together and add structure.
- Pure Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavor.
- Ground Cinnamon -Adds a wonderful warmth to the bread.
- Chopped Pecans(optional) – Adds wonderful texture to the bread. You can use walnuts as well or omit them entirely.
For the cinnamon streusel topping:
- All-purpose flour - Forms the crumble structure.
- Brown sugar - Adds sweetness and caramel notes.You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- White Sugar – Adds sweetness and crunchy texture.
- Ground Cinnamon - Warm spice that pairs perfectly with bananas.
- Unsalted butter - Holds the topping together and creates a crumbly texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make this easy banana bread with streusel topping. You can use a large bowl with a whisk.
Step 1. Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 2. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, mix flour, both sugars and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and stir it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
Step 3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 4. Mash bananas:In a separate bowl, mash ripe bananas until smooth using a fork.
Step 5. Mix wet ingredients: Add melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the mashed bananas. Whisk until smooth.
Step 6. Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Step 7. Assemble: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.
Step 8. Bake: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Step 9. Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks
- Use overripe bananas : They should have lots of brown spots for the sweetest flavor.
- Make it your own : Add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or a pinch of nutmeg to the streusel.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: This is the golden rule for quick breads and muffins! Mix the batter until the flour streaks have just disappeared. Overmixing develops gluten and can lead to a tough, dense bread.
- How to Get a Perfect Streusel: The key is to use melted butter and work it into the flour and sugar mixture with a fork until pea-sized crumbs form. Do not overwork it, as you want a crumbly streusel, not a paste.
- Check for Doneness: The bread is done when a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. If the top is browning too quickly, you can tent it with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Cool Before Slicing: Let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Slicing it while it’s still hot can cause it to fall apart.
FAQs
Yes! This bread stays moist for days and can be made a day ahead.
Yes. Thaw them completely and drain excess liquid before using.
I haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but you can try using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
You can ripen them quickly by baking them on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 15-20 minutes, until the peels are shiny and black.
Storage & Freezing
- Room temperature: Store leftover banana streusel bread in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: Store for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Wrap the cooled loaf (whole or sliced) in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Breakfast Treats You Will love
Recipe
Banana Bread with Streusel Topping
Equipment
- 1 9*5 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
For the banana bread:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups mashed bananas about 3 large ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans coarsely chopped (Optional)
For the streusel topping:
- ⅔ cup All purpose Flour
- 6 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoon unsalted Butter melted
Instructions
- For the streusel, combine the flour, sugars, pecans, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over top and stir to combine. The mixture will be clumpy. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a small bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon.
- In a large bowl whisk the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract until well combine.
- With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.)Stir in the chopped nuts.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Top the bread with the prepared streusel.
- Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes.
- Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and natural sweetness.
- The bread stays fresh for 2-3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.
- If you don't like cinnamon, you can reduce it, swap it with pumpkin pie spice or chai spice for extra warmth, or omit it completely.
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