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Strawberry Banana Bread with a Sweet Strawberry Swirl Recipe

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This Strawberry Banana Bread is a moist and flavorful quick bread featuring ripe bananas and fresh strawberries. A luscious strawberry swirl jam is layered within the batter, creating beautiful ribbons of sweet fruit flavor in every bite. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, this loaf combines the natural sweetness of bananas with a fresh fruity pop from the strawberries, balanced by cinnamon and brown sugar richness. The bread is baked in a loaf pan for a soft crumb and easy slicing.

Ingredients

Strawberry Swirl

  • ¾ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cornstarch

Banana Bread Batter

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup ripe mashed banana (about 2 medium bananas)
  • 1 cup diced fresh strawberries, patted dry

Instructions

  1. Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal after baking.
  2. Make the strawberry swirl: In a small saucepan, combine the chopped strawberries, granulated sugar, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and becomes jam-like. Remove from heat and let it cool completely before using.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1½ cups of the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set this mixture aside. Reserve the remaining ½ cup flour for coating the diced strawberries.
  4. Coat the strawberries: Toss the diced strawberries with the reserved ½ cup flour until they are evenly coated. This step helps prevent the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter while baking.
  5. Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter together with the light brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth.
  6. Combine batter: Stir the mashed banana into the batter until well incorporated. Gently fold in the flour-coated strawberries, combining just until evenly distributed without overmixing.
  7. Layer and swirl: Spread half of the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Spoon the cooled strawberry jam mixture on top and gently swirl it through the batter using a knife or skewer. Add the remaining batter on top and smooth the surface.
  8. Bake: Bake the bread for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper overhang to lift it out and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

  • Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for optimal sweetness and flavor.
  • Coat the diced strawberries in flour before folding into the batter to prevent sinking.
  • Allow the strawberry swirl mixture to cool completely before adding to the batter to avoid partially cooking the batter prematurely.
  • Do not overmix the batter to keep the bread tender and prevent it from becoming dense or tough.
  • Line the loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal of the bread after baking.
  • If the bread tops brown too fast, tent loosely with foil during the last minutes of baking.
  • Let the bread cool fully before slicing to achieve clean, neat slices.

Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/strawberry-banana-bread-with-a-sweet-strawberry-swirl-recipe/