Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I can’t even tell you how much I love this Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. It’s soft, sweet, and every slice has that creamy cheesecake-like center that feels like a hidden surprise. With simple pantry ingredients, this is the banana bread recipe I come back to again and again. It never lasts long in my house!

Original post: January 2016 | Updated: September 2025

Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread

• It’s a fun and delicious twist on regular banana bread! The cream cheese filling hiding in the middle will delight and surprise people, and chocolate makes everything better!
• It’s made with really common ingredients probably already in your kitchen and a great way to use up those ripe bananas.
• Make this fall or winter dessert or snack super pretty by adding chocolate chips to the top of the batter just before baking.

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Banana Bread Ingredients

This easy banana bread recipe is made with simple ingredients you may even have already!

Butter – softened for easy mixing

Light brown sugar

Granulated sugar

Eggs – I like to use large eggs at room temp so they bind in the batter better

Vanilla extract

All-purpose flour – Use a trusted gluten free flour alternative if needed

Baking powder

Baking soda

Salt

Bananas – soft and ripe so they are easily mashed

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream cheese – softened so it spreads easily

How To Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This is a basic breakdown of the complete directions found in the recipe card below.

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

Step 2

Combine the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix these dry ingredients well. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until combined. 

Stir in the mashed bananas and chocolate chips. 

Step 3

Pour half the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. 

Spread softened cream cheese evenly over the batter with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Top with the remaining batter from the mixing bowl.

Sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top, if desired. 

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour. (Start checking for doneness at 45-50 minutes, but don’t leave the oven open long.) 

When the bread is done baking, let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes, Tips & Tricks

• Softened butter and cream cheese will whip into the ingredients more easily.
• Salted or unsalted butter works. But you might want to decrease the salt content called for if using salted butter.
• Don’t forget to get the sides of the pan when spraying.
• Milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips will also work.
• Allowing the bread to cool completely to room temperature will ensure that it keeps its shape, but it is best served just a little bit warm.
• This bread is great served solo as a dessert or with a simple pat of butter.
• Whip a little cocoa powder in with the cream cheese mixture before adding for a chocolatey center.
• If you feel your banana bread is dry after baking, you can top it with a small drizzle of my Simple Icing Glaze. Again, you can add a little cocoa to make it chocolatey!

What To Serve With Banana Bread

Banana bread is great because you can eat it as your breakfast, enjoy it for a mid-morning or afternoon snack, or have it for dessert and nothing needs to be paired with it. But it also goes great with so many options.

Spread some butter or peanut butter over the top for another simple way to enjoy it. Eat it on the side with some eggs and sausage or a cup of yogurt for breakfast. Or try it with a scoop of ice cream for a decadent dessert.

How to Store Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Always let the banana bread cool completely before storing. This helps keep condensation forming inside the bag or airtight container and ruining the texture of the loaf.

The cream cheese center keeps this from being stored at room temp, so keep it in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic. Stored properly, it will be good for 5-7 days. Let the bread sit at room temp to loosen up the crumb and soften up a bit before eating.

You can also freeze leftover banana bread for up to 1 year! Slice the loaf and place a piece of parchment paper between each slice. Then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Allow the frozen banana bread slices to thaw completely before eating.

How To Keep Banana Bread Moist?

A good ratio of flour to bananas will bake into a nice moist banana bread and keep your bread moist longer. Also, the more overripe the bananas, the better for the purpose of baking with moist and tender results. 

If your banana bread does not have a cream cheese frosting or filling that requires refrigeration, it will keep its moistness better when stored at room temperature rather than the fridge. 

What Kind Of Bananas For Banana Bread

Use overripe bananas that are soft to the touch and with brown spots and a thinning peel for the best banana bread. Soft, ripe bananas mash more easily for a better batter and are sweeter than their less still yellow counterparts.

If your bananas are “leaking” or completely black and mush inside, they are too far gone.

How To Make Bananas Ripen For Banana Bread

If you have bananas that are still green or just starting to yellow, you can add them to a brown paper bag and enclose them with a ripe apple or another ethylene-producing piece of produce like a peach or tomato that is already ripe.

The contained ethylene gas from the ripe fruit helps speed up the ripening process of the bananas.

How To Store Bananas

• You can also add frozen bananas directly to your morning smoothie before blending!
• Leave still ripening bananas in their bunches on the counter or hanging from a cute little banana tree. Be careful not to crack the tops of the bananas.
• You can also extend the life of bananas by wrapping the stems in plastic wrap.
• Keeping the bananas at room temperature is optimal, but the warmer the room, the faster they’ll ripen. 
• Once bananas start to show signs of excessive ripeness (brown or even black spots), throw them into the fridge if you know you’ll be using them in the next few days.
• If you don’t yet have a plan for your bananas yet, put them in the freezer. It is ideal to remove them from the peel and place them in a freezer safe bag or container before freezing. 
• Allow frozen bananas to thaw completely before mashing and adding them to your next batch of banana bread or any of the great recipes using ripe bananas! 

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