Banana Bread with Cheesecake Mousse
Be the first to reviewRecipe revised 2026-09-11.
Banana bread has that cozy, familiar thing about it. It feels like something someone made because they knew you needed a slice of something soft and warm.
This version keeps everything I love about banana bread, then adds a silky cheesecake mousse over the top. It is creamy, tangy, and just rich enough to make the loaf feel like dessert without taking away from the banana.
We make this cheesecake topping all the time in our house because it gives you that cheesecake feeling without the crust, water bath, or long wait. If you are already making banana bread, this is the little extra step that makes everyone ask when you are making it again.
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The Easiest Pairing to Say Yes To
After I developed my baked cheesecake mousse frosting, I immediately started thinking about what it would pair with. Then I remembered my banana loaf - how dreamy it was, with caramelized edges and the warm flavors of banana and spice. It was a no-brainer.
The cheesecake mousse felt like the perfect balance, and I knew the textures together would be unreal. This was one of those easy, immediate choices - and the result agreed.
Ingredient notes
Key ingredients
Very ripe bananas
Use bananas that are deeply spotted and soft. They bring the sweetness, moisture, and cozy banana flavor this loaf needs.
Brown sugar
Brown sugar keeps the crumb moist and gives the banana bread a warmer, caramel-like flavor.
Yogurt
Yogurt keeps the loaf tender and adds body to both the banana bread and the cheesecake mousse.
Whipping cream
Whipped cream lightens the cheesecake base so the topping spreads like mousse instead of eating like dense frosting.
Brands I used for this recipe
These are preferences, not requirements. If you choose the non-dairy route, these are the products I test with. Dairy equivalents can be used at the same listed amounts and temperatures.
Forager Unsweetened Plain Yogurt
Plain unsweetened yogurt adds moisture, acidity, and body so the crumb bakes up tender without tasting tangy.
Silk Original Unsweet
Milk affects how smoothly a batter, filling, or frosting comes together. Soy milk and Ripple tend to emulsify well because their protein and fat help create a creamy, cohesive finish.
Philadelphia Plant-Based Cream Cheese
Philadelphia Plant-Based Cream Cheese is my dependable choice when cream cheese is used in a cake batter, frosting, or icing.
Country Crock Heavy Plant Cream
Heavy cream affects silkiness, looseness, and how buttercream or filling sets after chilling.
Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste
I use Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste for this recipe.
From this recipe
Tested notes
If using dairy cream cheese, omit the nutritional yeast, miso paste, and lactic acid.
Testing notes
Why this works
Why the bananas are mashed smooth
Smooth mashed banana blends through the batter more evenly, so every slice tastes like banana bread instead of plain cake with banana pockets.
Why room-temperature ingredients matter
Room-temperature yogurt and milk blend more easily with the oil and sugars. This helps the batter come together smoothly and keeps the crumb tender.
Why the loaf cools completely
The mousse is meant to sit on top in a thick, silky layer. If the loaf is warm, it will soften too much and lose that cheesecake finish.
Why the cream is folded in
Folding keeps the whipped cream airy, which is what makes the topping feel like mousse. It also helps prevent the frosting from splitting. Cream cheese and whipped cream are both delicate, so move slowly, stir gently, and stop once the mixture looks even.
Why the mousse chills briefly
A short chill gives the mousse enough body to spread in soft swoops. It should feel creamy and thick, not stiff.
Step by step
How It All Comes Together
Step 1
Mash the bananas and gather the ingredients
Mash the very ripe bananas until mostly smooth. Measure the banana bread ingredients before mixing so the wet and dry ingredients are ready to go.
Mash the bananas before mixing them into the batter. Step 2
Mix the banana bread batter
Whisk the sugars, oil, yogurt, vanilla bean paste, banana, milk, and vinegar until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
Whisk the wet ingredients until evenly combined. 
Stir the banana through before adding the flour. 
Stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated. Step 3
Bake and cool the loaf
Spread the batter into the lined pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then move it to a wire rack and cool it completely.
Spread the batter into the corners of the pan. Step 4
Make the cheesecake base
Beat the cream cheese until completely smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar. Add the nutritional yeast, miso, lactic acid, vanilla, yogurt, and salt and mix again until there are no lumps.
Measure the mousse ingredients before whipping the cream. Step 5
Fold in the whipped cream
Whip the cold cream to medium peaks. Fold it gently into the cheesecake base in two additions, stopping as soon as the mousse looks smooth and even. Chill it for 20-30 minutes so it thickens slightly.
Whip the cream before combining it with the cream cheese mixture. 
Combine gently to keep the mousse light. Step 6
Spread the mousse and serve
Spread the chilled cheesecake mousse over the completely cooled loaf in thick swoops. Serve it chilled for clean slices, or let each slice sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes for a softer bite.
Pipe the mousse over the cooled loaf. The sliced loaf shows the banana crumb beneath the mousse.
From Instagram
Watch the reel
Watch the banana bread come together before the cheesecake mousse is spread on top.
Open the reelTroubleshooting
If This Happens
The banana bread is browning before the center is ready
Tent the top loosely with foil and keep baking until a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
The cheesecake base has lumps
The cream cheese was probably too cold. Let it soften, then beat it by itself until completely smooth before adding the remaining mousse ingredients.
The mousse feels loose
Make sure the cream reached medium peaks and fold gently so you do not knock out the air. Give the finished mousse the full 20-30 minute chill before spreading it over the loaf.
The mousse is sliding off the loaf
The loaf needs to be completely cool before the mousse goes on. Refrigerate both separately, then spread the chilled mousse over the cooled loaf.
Before you slice
Texture and serving notes
Serve chilled when you want clean slices and a thicker cheesecake layer.
Let slices sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes when you want the banana bread to soften and the mousse to relax.
This is the slice I want with coffee, especially the next day.
Keep it good
Storage
Fridge
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serve
Serve chilled or let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQ
Questions that come up
Should I weigh the ingredients or use volume measurements?
I strongly recommend weighing the ingredients in grams for the most reliable result. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but the amount in a cup can change depending on how an ingredient is filled, packed, or poured. These recipes are easy to follow, but their ratios are precise, so I cannot guarantee the exact same result when volume measurements are used. I still use teaspoons and tablespoons for small amounts like leaveners, salt, spices, and flavorings because those are the most practical measurements.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I cannot guarantee the same texture, rise, or structure. If you would like to experiment, a cup-for-cup (1:1) gluten-free baking blend intended to replace all-purpose flour is the best place to start. Results may differ from the recipe as written.
More recipes to try
- Prep
- 35 min
- Bake
- 55-65 min
- Total
- 2 hr 20 min
- Yield
- One 9x5-inch loaf
Measurement note
For the closest match to the recipe I tested, use grams. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but cups can vary, so I cannot guarantee the exact same result when measuring by volume.
Ingredients
Banana Bread
- 245 g all-purpose flour245 g (about 2 cups + 2 teaspoons) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 220 g light brown sugar, packed220 g (about 1 cup + 2 teaspoons) light brown sugar, packed
- 120 g granulated sugar120 g (about 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons) granulated sugar
- 130 g neutral oil130 g (about 1/3 cup + 4 tablespoons) neutral oil
- 160 g plain unsweetened yogurt, room temperature160 g (about 1/3 cup + 5 tablespoons) plain unsweetened yogurt, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 240 g very ripe bananas, mashed smooth240 g (about 1 cup + 1 tablespoon) very ripe bananas, mashed smooth
- 120 g milk, room temperature120 g (about 1/2 cup) milk, room temperature
- 10 g apple cider vinegar10 g (about 2 teaspoons) apple cider vinegar
Cheesecake Mousse
- 150 g cream cheese150 g (about 2/3 cup) cream cheese
- 48 g powdered sugar48 g (about 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) powdered sugar
- 1/3 teaspoon unfortified nutritional yeast, sifted1/3 teaspoon unfortified nutritional yeast, sifted
- 1/8 teaspoon mild white or yellow miso paste1/8 teaspoon mild white or yellow miso paste
- Pinch of lactic acid powderPinch of lactic acid powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 28 g yogurt28 g (about 1 tablespoon + 2 1/2 teaspoons) yogurt
- 50 g cold whipping cream50 g (about 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) cold whipping cream
- Pinch fine sea saltPinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and fully line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- 2In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, yogurt, vanilla, bananas, milk, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
- 3Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix just until no dry streaks remain.
- 4Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- 5Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- 6Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- 7Make the cheesecake mousse. Beat the cream cheese for 2 minutes, until completely smooth and lump-free.
- 8Add the powdered sugar and mix for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and slightly loosened.
- 9Add the nutritional yeast, miso paste, lactic acid, vanilla, yogurt, and salt. Mix until fully smooth.
- 10In a separate bowl, whip the cream to medium peaks.
- 11Fold the whipped cream gently into the cheesecake base in two additions until uniform.
- 12Chill the mousse for 20-30 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- 13Spread the mousse over the cooled loaf and serve.
Helpful notes
- If using dairy cream cheese, omit the nutritional yeast, miso paste, and lactic acid.
Cheesecake collection
Find more non-dairy cheesecake recipes
Meet the baker
Angela Heckler
Angela Heckler is the recipe developer, baker, and photographer behind Obsessed Cakes. Her Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf series is a growing collection of cake-donut-inspired loaves with soft, deeply moist crumbs, buttery streusel, and crackly glaze. Angela develops and tests every recipe in her Arizona kitchen. Follow Obsessed Cakes on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
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