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My favorite Maple Banana Bread with Cinnamon Spice Butter. All made in one bowl, quick to mix up, warming, and SO DELICIOUS! Yep, that pretty much sums up this banana bread, it’s the perfect bread to bake up this weekend. With over-ripe bananas, coconut oil, pure maple, eggs, vanilla, flour, butter, and warm winter spices. This is sure to become your favorite banana bread recipe. Perfect for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or even an after-dinner dessert.
Like clockwork, every single January, I seem to share banana bread. It’s not something I do intentionally, it’s more so that my family just loves a classic banana bread. And personally, I love making it. Banana bread was a recipe my mom and I would make when I was a kid.
We’d do a lot of baking together on the bitter-cold winter days when we lived in Cleveland. Most of the time, it was her chocolate chip cookies, her oatmeal cookies, a chocolate cake, buckeyes, or her special K-bars.
Do you see a theme? A lot of chocolate.
The one, non-chocolate thing we’d bake together was banana bread. She made hers so simply, I can almost remember the recipe by heart. For some reason, I’ve never once shared her original banana bread.
This is pretty close though, only I used a few more wholesome ingredients. I now use maple syrup to sweeten the bread. I also use whole wheat pastry flour, which we’ve found makes the bread even more delicious.
Oh, and coconut oil in place of canola oil.
The details
This could not be easier. Locate four very ripe bananas. I’m talking practically black bananas and very soft. If they’re just too black to eat, they’re perfect for banana bread.
Mash up the bananas and then mix with a little coconut oil, pure maple syrup, a couple of large eggs, and a splash of vanilla. Add white whole wheat flour, a pinch of cinnamon, and a dash of salt. The cinnamon is that unexpected ingredient that might seem a bit off, but it’s actually what makes the banana bread batter really good. It’s subtle enough that you can’t really tell it’s there, but it adds a special touch.
You can mix in some walnuts or pecans if you like, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. It really just depends on the day.
While the bread is baking in a loaf pan, make the butter. Some might skip this step, but please, I’m begging you all, MAKE THE BUTTER.
It’s so delicious when slathered over a warm piece of bread. I whip the butter with either honey or maple. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves, and a pinch of sea salt. Whip it all up until the butter is light and creamy.
Trust me on the butter. If you love anything pumpkin spice, you’re going to love the butter.
The bread with the butter slathered on is very tender, very banana-y, sweetened lightly with maple, and full of yumminess.
A warm slice of perfect banana bread with cinnamon spice butter is perfect any time of day!
Looking for other sweet winter recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Peanut Butter Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chunk Rye Banana Bread
5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake
Baked Chocolate Fudge Glazed Doughnuts
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Lastly, if you make this Maple Banana Bread with Cinnamon Spice Butter be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Maple Banana Bread with Cinnamon Butter
Servings: 1 loaf
Calories Per Serving: 366 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 4 medium overly ripe bananas mashed (about 1 1/4 cup mashed)
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup walnuts (optional)
Cinnamon Spice Butter
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×5 inch bread pan.2. In a bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, mix until just combined. Fold in the walnuts, if using. 3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the center is just set. Remove and let cool for 30 minutes before cutting…or just eat it warm with a smear of cinnamon butter. Enjoy!4. To make the cinnamon butter, In a bowl, beat the butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves, and a pinch of salt. Serve with the warm bread.
Notes
Bread will keep (covered) for 3-5 days.
Calories based on 8 servings per loaf.
This post was originally published on January 6, 2023
Hi, can I use whole wheat flour in this recipe?
Hi Kate,
Sure, that would be okay for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you!
I followed this recipe to the T (and love making bread often) but this didn’t have much flavor and tasted a lot like baking soda 🤗 I was going to give this away in my Christmas baking box to friends but can’t lol I literally have a baking soda after taste all in mouth! Oh well.
Hi Allie,
So sorry about that! I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback!
I also tried to follow the recipe closely, and it came out dense and not very sweet. Is there anything I may have done wrong in the technique or anything? Anything I could do to fix it?
I’ve always enjoyed your recipes, but I’m not a very skilled baker! 😅
Thanks Kristin!! I would say it’s important not to over-mix the batter:)
Is it ok to substitute maple syrup with golden syrup?
Hi Amy,
Sure, that should be just fine for you to use! I hope you love this recipe:)
We really enjoyed this bread. I accidentally added all the spices from the butter into the bread and we loved it! Spiced banana bread 👌🏻 Thabks for sharing 😊
Hey Abby,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear this turned out nicely for you!
A recipe I come back to often!! Love it so much. The butter is a must!!
Hey Kati,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making this recipe so often, I am so glad to hear it always turns out well for you!
My family loves your chocolate chunk banana bread but I thought I’d try this one, may I ask, how do you feel about substituting the coconut oil for butter?
Thanks, Darcy! I think that would be just fine for you to do:) I hope you love this banana bread!
best. banana bread. ever.
Hey Jenna,
Love to hear this! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your feedback! Have a great day!
Great recipe! I added a little date syrup with the maple syrup, figured it wouldn’t be sweet with just a 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Also, sprinkled a little brown sugar on the top, it gave just touch more sweetness and a nice little crunch on the top but so moist on the inside.
Hi Cathy! Thank you so so much, I’m so glad you loved this banana bread! 🙂 xT
I don’t know what I did wrong. It feels like it’s missing sugar, as for the maple, I couldn’t taste it at alland all I could I could taste is the baking soda. I never had an HBH recipe fail me so this must be a Me fail. That’s why it’s unrated. I just don’t know how this was so bland and lacking flavor. Thanks for all your lovely recipes that have worked for me!
Hi Capri,
So sorry to hear this!! I appreciate your kind message and I’m sorry to hear this one didn’t turn out for you. xx
I second this, so bland and all I can taste is baking soda. I even added extra maple syrup because I thought it was odd there was no sugar
Came to the comments to see if I was the only one who ended up with the baking soda taste – apparently not!
Would easily be five stars but Half Baked Harvest refuses to give nutritional information for their recipes and that is a big deficit in my books.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, so glad the recipe was enjoyed! xx
We make this every other week (minus the butter) as Muffins and they never last long. Such a lovely recipe. Thank you
Hey Mara,
Happy Monday! So glad to hear this recipe is always enjoyed, thanks for making it so often and your comment!!
meh. this was nothing to write home about. tastes exactly like banana bread except more bland. no maple flavor. the butter is delish and the only thing that makes the bread edible. will not make again
Sorry to hear this, Diana. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know! xx
I made this tonight using gluten-free flour. It was delicious, and will definitely be a repeat!
Hey Dixie,
Fantastic! I appreciate you trying this recipe, love to hear it turned out well for you! Enjoy your day:)
Can you put these into muffins ?
Hi Taylor,
Sure, that should work nicely for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
10/10! Seriously so good! You have to pair it with a layer of the cinnamon butter ontop for the full experience. Not too sweet, just perfect!
Thanks so much, Bella:) Love to hear this banana bread turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! xT