Caramel Banana Bread — a soft, moist loaf that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch or an anytime snack. This easy recipe blends ripe bananas with dulce de leche for a rich caramel swirl and an indulgent buttery crumb. You can fold in chopped nuts for extra texture or leave them out for a classic banana loaf. The recipe is flexible: you can bake it in a loaf tin or divide it into muffin cases (this batter makes about 12 large muffins if you add cocoa for a chocolate-banana variation).
At Lovefoodies we love pound cakes and loaf recipes, and this caramel banana loaf is one of our favorites thanks to the sweet caramel ribbon and the deep banana flavor. The spoonful of dulce de leche in the middle gives each slice a luscious caramel surprise while the ripe bananas keep the cake moist. If you like, add roughly chopped macadamia, walnuts or pecans for a pleasant crunch.
For this recipe you will need a loaf tin about 30cm x 12cm x 8cm deep, though a standard 9 to 12-inch loaf pan will work just as well with the same baking time. The cake freezes beautifully: slice and freeze half so you always have a portion ready for mornings or unexpected guests.
The instructions are straightforward, but oven temperatures vary — check the cake with a skewer around the minimum bake time listed. If the skewer comes out clean, the loaf is ready.
Below is the full recipe for a moist Caramel Banana Loaf. Enjoy baking!
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups (225 g) plain / all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
Pinch of salt
⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (175 g) granulated sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups (approx. 450 g) peeled very ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
1 cup (100 g) chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts, optional
1 tablespoon dulce de leche (store-bought or homemade)
About the baking soda
Adding a small amount of bicarbonate of soda helps improve the loaf’s texture and crumb. It’s not essential, but it gives a bit of lightness to the dense banana batter and offsets the smoothness of the mashed bananas.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Grease and line your loaf tin (silicone pans usually don’t need greasing).
3. Chop the nuts if using — roughly chopped pieces add more texture. Mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps for body.
4. Whisk together the sifted flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder in a bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs gradually, mixing in a few tablespoons of the flour with the eggs to prevent the batter from curdling.
6. Stir in the mashed bananas and the chopped nuts, combining thoroughly. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients until just combined — don’t overmix.
7. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared tin and smooth it to the corners. Add the tablespoon of dulce de leche in a line down the center of the batter so every slice will have some caramel — you can swirl or dot it however you prefer.
8. Gently spread the remaining batter over the caramel so it is evenly covered.
9. Bake for 50–55 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes by inserting a metal skewer or cake tester into the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), the loaf is done. If needed, bake a few minutes longer and test again.
Note: oven temperatures can vary, so always test for doneness rather than relying strictly on time.
We’d love to hear from you — did you try the recipe or make any changes? Tell us in the comments. Happy baking!
Recipe Card
Caramel Banana Loaf Cake
10
10 minutes
1 hour
1 hour 10 minutes
Moist caramel banana loaf with a ribbon of dulce de leche and optional nuts for crunch.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (225 g) plain / all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (175 g) sugar
- 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups (approx. 450 g) very ripe bananas, mashed (about 4)
- 1 cup (100 g) chopped nuts, optional
- 1 tablespoon dulce de leche
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Grease and line a loaf tin.
- Chop nuts if using and mash bananas.
- Mix sifted flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
- Cream butter and sugar until pale, add eggs gradually with a few tablespoons of flour.
- Fold in mashed bananas and nuts, then fold in remaining flour.
- Spoon half the batter into the tin, add dulce de leche down the center, then cover with remaining batter.
- Bake 50–55 minutes; test with a skewer — it should come out clean when done.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving (approx.):
Calories: 376
Total Fat: 15g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 49mg
Sodium: 127mg
Carbohydrates: 58g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 30g
Protein: 5g