The Most Moist & Delicious Banana Bread with a Buttery Cinnamon Streusel Topping

It’s almost Fall Y’all! Maybe it’s a little early for pumpkin spice but Fall baking is in full swing. This banana bread with streusel is probably my favorite banana bread I’ve ever made and the topping is straight up addictive. Think of a toasted crumbled cookie on top of moist banana bread. Delicious and perfect for the cooler days ahead. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the Banana Bread:

• 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed

• 2 large eggs, room temp

• ⅓ cup (80g) sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups very ripe mashed bananas (about 3 large bananas)

• Optional: ½ cup (80g) chopped toasted walnuts or chocolate chips

For the Streusel Topping:

• ⅓ cup (40g) all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ⅛ tsp salt

• 2 ½ Tbsp (35g) cold unsalted butter, diced

Instructions

1. Preheat & Prep

• Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and line your tall-sided loaf pan with parchment paper if desired.

2. Make the Streusel

In a small bowl, combine:

• ⅓ cup flour

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ⅛ tsp salt

Add diced cold butter and use a fork or your fingers to blend until coarse crumbs form. Pour it out onto a parchment lined baking sheet for extra crunch.

You can also just chill it in the fridge and sprinkle on top of the batter before you bake it.

3. Mix Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together:7

• 1 ¾ cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Set aside.

4. Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl:

1. Whisk together melted butter and brown sugar until smooth.

2. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until fully incorporated.

3. Stir in sour cream, vanilla, and mashed bananas.

5. Combine

• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

• Stir until just combined — do not overmix.

• Fold in nuts or chocolate if using.

6. Assemble & Top

• Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

• Sprinkle streusel evenly over the batter.

7. Bake

• Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 65–75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

  • If the top is browning too fast, loosely tent with foil at the 45-minute mark.

• Cool in pan for 15–20 minutes, then lift out or turn out onto a wire rack.

Pro Tips

• Measure bananas by volume, not just count. Too much banana = gummy bread.

• Sour cream ensures richness and moisture without making the bread heavy.

• For extra height, avoid overmixing and don’t open the oven early.

• Bread slices best when fully cooled — or even better, after resting overnight.

Storage

• Store wrapped at room temp for up to 3 days.

• Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

• Freezes beautifully (wrap tightly, freeze up to 3 months).