Cream Cheese Banana Bread

For now, love yourself and enjoy this one ... 

Go Bananas and (s)Cream Cheese! Photogenic Cream Cheese Banana Bread!

Though originating several decades before, banana breads became popular surrounding the food shortages of the great depression. With overripe fruits more available to the masses than fresh ones and with the recent advent of baking powder making national households more capable to bake with fewer (and more sparing) ingredients, banana bread recipes began to circulate as a means of utilizing easily bruised and ripened fruits for more than just a fanciful garnish. What once was a dish designed to help fill stomachs without wastefulness now is a simplistic sweet treat served with jam and/or cream cheese for extra-indulgent eats!

Our 3 ingredient banana bread is a divine example of a modernized (and dairy-free!) recipe for something so simple it could be fashioned in food shortages. Cream cheese banana bread is a bit more complicated, but rewards you with a delicate and delicious dessert loaf accompanied by a rich and creamy glaze similar to a crème anglaise. If you can dedicate the time and effort, you can savor the flavor of the times we live in, where we came from, and how far we’ve come (and maybe take a delicious picture to put on Instagram!).

If you’re looking for something to pair our cream cheese banana bread, why not try strawberry chia jam for the sweet accompaniment of tarty berries and the healthy fiber chia seeds can bring to the table? Or, if you want a little more protein in your dessert, try our homemade walnut spread (or any other nut spread of your choosing, seriously go NUTS!). For a keto option that’s low carb, try our recipe for low-carb keto-friendly banana loaf!

Is Cream Cheese Banana Bread Healthy?

Here at FoodFaithFitness, we typically cultivate recipes which adhere to health-conscious diets and suggest alternatives and substitutions that help to turn your favorite recipes into keto, gluten-free, and paleo go-to’s; however, even we like to splurge a little~ Cream cheese banana bread is an indulgent dessert with lots of healthy fats from greek yogurt and cream cheese as well as the natural sweetness inherent to over-ripe bananas.

Substituting too much in this loaf will lose much of what brings it to life from the fluffy texture to that decadent dairy delight we top it with. That said, you can make this vegetarian dessert more health conscious by substituting our recommended milk and cream ingredients with non-dairies – especially soy, which is often described as being the closest alternative. If you want to go full-vegan, soy alternatives can branch outward into replacing the eggs as well! Though, if you want to add necessary fiber content to help retain the nutritious benefits of banana, a complementary half-cup of roughly chopped candied pecans can do the trick – just make sure to reduce your sugar content to compensate for the added sweetness (or don’t! you do you!).

How Ripe Is Too Ripe?

One of the focal ingredients to banana bread is bananas (and, in other astute observations, the sky is blue!) but the recipe for cream cheese banana bread calls specifically for overripe bananas; why? Overripe bananas make sweeter banana bread but, because of the broken down cell walls in each ripe banana, the dough fashioned with them forms easier the softer the ingredients get! As such, you’re going to want to ensure that your bananas are beyond yellow and spotting, but entering into the stage of ripeness that makes them seemingly unsellable at market – I assure you, you’ll love the natural sweet these ugly nanas bring!

That’s not to say to ignore your nose, however. Too-ripe bananas can make your banana bread taste a little funky and smell of fermentation (which is an elegant way to say that it has begun to rot). The ideal banana ripeness has more brown than yellow, even wholly brown with only the slightest tinge of yellow showing underneath, and should be easily squishable in a light grip. If your fingers leave dimples in the rind when you handle the fruit, you’ve got the perfect bananas for banana bread – just don’t let them sit too long. Once a banana becomes nearly black on the outside, the flavor is powerful and the fragrance is pungent – these can still be used in some cases but, by all means, hesitate no longer and get to baking!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups overripe bananas mashed (about 3 large bananas)
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt room temperature
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 2 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese room temperature
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with greased parchment paper.

Prepare

Whisk cream cheese, sugar, Greek yogurt, flour, and egg in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Mash

In a large bowl, mash bananas. Add in egg, yogurt, maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Mix

Combine flour, baking soda, and spices in another bowl.

Blend

Fold dry ingredients into banana mixture.

Layer

Pour a portion of the batter into the pan, add cream cheese mix, repeat. Swirl pattern with a knife.

Bake

Bake for 55-70 minutes, until knife comes out clean. Cover with foil if browning too much.

Chill

Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then lift out to cool completely.

DEVOUR!

FAQs & Tips

Serving Suggestions

Cream cheese banana bread is a fantastic cream-filled treat on its own, but, should you want a touch of added sweetness, FoodFaithFitness has you covered! For a little tart to go with that banana goodness, nothing pairs better than strawberry jam with chia seeds! If banana-nut is your brand, try adding a dollop of homemade nut butter (my favorite is pecan!). If all else fails and you want to surprise your tastebuds, try something out of your comfort zone that works shockingly well: banana bread and blue cheese with honey!

Print

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Go Bananas and (s)Cream Cheese! Photogenic Cream Cheese Banana Bread!

Course Bread, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 179kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups overripe bananas mashed (about 3 large bananas)
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt room temperature
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 2 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese room temperature
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with lightly greased parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 egg until smooth. Set aside.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• In a large bowl, mash the bananas, aiming for a creamy texture with a few small lumps. Whisk in the egg, 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and oil until well combined. Mix in the brown sugar and vanilla extract.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mix. Stir just until you can't see any flour. Do not overmix.
• Pour a third of the banana bread batter into your prepared pan. Spoon alternating dollops of cream cheese filling and banana batter on top, creating a mosaic. Grab a butter knife and swirl it through the batter in a figure-eight pattern.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Slide your pan into the oven and bake for 55 to 70 minutes. If the top gets too tan, tent with foil. The bread is done when a knife comes out cleanor an instant-read thermometer reads 200°F.
• Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack (15 minutes), use the parchment "handles" to lift out the bread and let it cool completely on the rack.
• Slice up and DEVOUR!

Nutrition

Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Cream Cheese Banana Bread appeared first on Food Faith Fitness.

References:

Frequently Asked Questions

What spices or herbs go best with potatoes?

A potato is a great side dish for almost any meat. You may be familiar with the many ways you can serve potatoes other than mashed.

From salads to casseroles, soups to pasta dishes, these versatile vegetables make tasty additions to most meals. But did you know that numerous spices and herbs go well with potatoes?

These recipes will help you spice up your next potato dish.

What is the difference in curry and curried?

There is no difference between the spellings. Both words refer to the same thing: an Indian dish combining meat or vegetables with various seasonings.

Curry comes from the Hindi word kari meaning "to rub." This term refers to how the spice mixture is rubbed onto the food. Curry is typically prepared until the food is golden brown.

Curried dishes weren't always reserved for special occasions. Today, they can be enjoyed throughout India. They can include chicken, beef, lamb, fish, vegetables, and rice.

Plain white rice is commonly served with curried meals. A raita (a yogurt-based sauce) or a chutney is another common accompaniment.

What are the main Flavours of Thai Cooking?

Thai cuisine includes several distinct regional cuisines. These include Northern, Central and Southern Thai food. Each region has its distinctive flavour profile.

Thai food contains many flavors.

Thais consider sweetness essential because it makes dishes taste good. Thai cuisine has a lot of sweet ingredients such as coconut milk and palm sugar (gula Melaka).

Thailand's most popular food is sourness. Hot dishes are often served with sour foods. This helps to balance the heat.

Thai food also includes spicy food. Thai recipes often include spices such as galangal and ginger root.

Statistics

• India contributes to 75% of global spice production. (en.wikipedia.org)
• According to a recent survey, professional chefs and many home cooks use spices; usage has only continued to grow from 2011 to now. (hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu)
• According to Healthline, pink Himalayan salt is estimated to contain up to 84 minerals and trace elements, which gives the salt its special pink color. (spicecravings.com)

External Links

[TAG34]

• Is Pink Himalayan Salt Better Than Regular Salt?


• Turmeric and Curcumin are proving to have health benefits.

[TAG37]

• Cumin – Wikipedia


• Charlemagne - Wikipedia

[TAG40]

• Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more.


• Amazon.com : Morton & Bassett Whole Nutmeg 1.9 Oz : Nutmeg Spices And Herbs : Grocery & Gourmet Food

[TAG43]

• Validation and development of Novel Lifestyle Inflammation Scores. - PMC


• Molecular mechanisms of curcumins suppressing effects on tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and metastasis, focusing on NF-kB pathway - PubMed

How To

How can I store my cooking spices?

Here's how to store your cooking spices for maximum performance. First, it is important to understand the science behind how foodstuffs are stored.

Because spices lose their flavour when exposed to the sun, they are best kept out of reach from light. This is due oxygen reacting with organic compounds such that spices, causing oxidation.

To avoid oxidation, spices must be kept in dark cupboards. If these conditions are not met, spices will quickly lose their flavour.

It is the best way to preserve spices' flavours by keeping them out of direct sunlight.

You can add herbs and spices to water to make a flavoured drink. For example, mix two teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 1/2 cup of warm water and stir well. Serve immediately by adding a squeeze lemon juice.

Dried herbs can be added to soups stews, casseroles pasta dishes rice dishes salads and desserts. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly on the dish, and let it sit for five to ten minutes before you serve.

Remaining cooked vegetables, fruit and meats can be used in your favorite recipes to make snacks.

For the best flavor of fresh herbs, you can chop them up or tear them apart and then add them to your favorite foods. You can also freeze herbs and spices by placing them in ice cube trays or muffin cups and freezing them. Transfer frozen items to zip-top or freezer bags.

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