Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

"For a request from Southern Living, January edition. Submitted by Willie Monroe, Homewood, Alabama. Prep time does not include making toppings. The nutrition facts includes all of the topping ingredients."
 
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photo by Megan_Jeremy_2007 photo by Megan_Jeremy_2007
photo by Megan_Jeremy_2007
photo by Megan_Jeremy_2007 photo by Megan_Jeremy_2007
photo by Junebug photo by Junebug
Ready In:
1hr 15mins
Ingredients:
20
Yields:
2 Loaves
Serves:
8-10
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ingredients

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directions

  • Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with electric mixer, until creamy.
  • Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
  • Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.
  • Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla.
  • Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8 x 4 inch loafpans.
  • Bake at 350º for 1 hour, or until tests clean. (Shield with foil the last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary.
  • Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
  • Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.
  • Orange Pecan Topping:

  • Sprinkle pecans over batter before baking.
  • Cool bread 10 minutes, remove from pans.
  • Stir together sugar, orange juice and orange rind.
  • Drizzle evenly over warm bread.
  • Cinnamon-Crisp Topping.
  • Stir together brown sugar, toasted pecans, flour, melted butter and cinnamon.
  • Sprinle mixture evenly over batter.
  • Bake and cool bread.

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Reviews

  1. I first discovered this recipe when my family gave me a Southern Living cookbook for Christmas. This is, bar none, the BEST recipe for Banana Nut bread found anywhere.<br/><br/>I've never understood, however, why it is people will come onto these sites, rave about the recipe, and then say, "But I changed it a bit and did..." If you have to change the recipe, you obviously didn't love it, you just want people to give you validation yours is better.<br/><br/>My strong, STRONG suggestion is to not listen to the people who want you to do things their way (read: control freaks) and follow this tried-and-true recipe. It's the best one you'll find anywhere. Oh, and the first three ingredients make a darn good frosting if you use powdered instead of granular sugar.
     
  2. I didn't have time to make topping, but the banana bread is delicious without any. This recipe halves easily and makes a nice light loaf. Next time I will try it with a topping. Thanks Miss Annie--I read your bio and just ordered a copy of "Texas Home Cooking." It sounds like an interesting cookbook and worth a try!
     
  3. Excellent bread, next time I will use 1/2 cup more banana, and less brown sugar for the cinnamon topping... but anyway this is an amazing bread, THANK YOU!!!!
     
  4. This is my favorite recipe. I use the orange pecan topping. It is very delish! I do not roast the pecans though. They still come out perfect. I do sub the nuts for walnut and/or almond.
     
  5. SOOOOO good!!! I was wondering if this could be made in a bundt pan and how long it would have to cook. I think that would be really pretty, with the drizzle and nuts over top
     
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Tweaks

  1. This turned out great. The changes I made is I used 2 glass 9x5x2 inch pans. Pre heated the oven 325 degrees and baked for 60 minutes. Instead of nuts I used 1/4 cup of miniature chocolate chips. Then I sprinkled sugar in the raw on top before putting in the oven.
     
  2. I messed around a little bit with this recipe: used 1/2c raw evaporated cane juice for 1/2c of the sugar, used 1c whole wheat pastry flour instead of 1c of the flour, used 1/2 marg and 1/2 oil for the butter, and skipped the topping because of time restraints. I love the mini-muffins--they are soft inside with a crisp, buttery crust that gives this recipe a 5th star from me. Made about 2 dozen of the minis, plus a large loaf.
     
  3. Excellent bread -- very moist & dense, with really good banana flavor. I did make a couple of adjustments - I used 1/4 c applesauce with 1/2 c butter, replaced 1c of the sugar with granulated Splenda, ground up the pecans & increased the mashed bananas to 2 cups. With the extra bananas, I probably should have added a little more leavening - but regardless, it is delicious. I didn't try the toppings ... maybe next time. Even DH (who doesn't like cream cheese) really enjoyed this bread. Thanks for posting - I will be making this one again. -M =)
     

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