Cherry Banana Bread

Add a loaf of Cherry Banana Bread to your baking plans this week. This easy banana bread recipe is loaded with chocolate chips and sweet cherries, then topped with a pretty pink cherry glaze. It makes the perfect breakfast, afternoon snack, or let's be honest, late-night slice.

Have extra ripe fruit to use up? Try our banana waffles or this banana coffee cake.

This post was first published in May 2018. It was updated and republished in February 2026.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love Cherries and Bananas In Bread
• Ingredients Needed
• Fun Variations
• How To Make Cherry Banana Bread
• BruCrew Tips
• Storing and Freezing
• More Easy Banana Bread Recipes
• Recipe

I never get tired of baking with bananas. They're honestly the most used ingredient in our kitchen. A few of my favorites are chocolate banana muffins, banana scones, and the best banana cake. Luckily, my family loves banana treats just as much as I do, so they are always ready to give me feedback on new recipes.

This time, I found a jar of maraschino cherries and a bag of chocolate chips in the pantry. They clearly needed to be added to my sour cream banana bread.

My daughter said the banana bread with maraschino cherries was good, but she insists that it should only have chocolate chips. I totally disagree with that because cherries and chocolate are the perfect combo.

If you have overripe bananas sitting on your counter, this chocolate cherry banana bread needs to happen. One slice turns into two slices very quickly, so consider yourself warned!

Ingredients Needed

This is not your average cherry banana bread recipe. It is soft, rich, and filled with flavor from top to bottom. Scroll down to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients and instructions.

• Unsalted Butter: Let the butter sit at room temperature until softened. You should be able to cream the butter and sugar easily.
• Granulated Sugar: I used white sugar to sweeten the bread without overpowering the other ingredients.
• Large Eggs: Add moisture and richness to baked goods and bind the ingredients together.
• Sour Cream: Creamy, full-fat cream or plain Greek yogurt adds moisture and tang.
• Almond Extract: The almond flavor pairs well with cherries, but vanilla extract works too.
• Bananas: Use the spottiest, brownest bananas for your bread for the best flavor and sweetness. They should be soft enough to mash easily.
• All Purpose Flour: Fluff and spoon the flour into your measuring cup to avoid adding too much. I recommend using a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement.
• Baking Soda: Provides enough lift during baking, so no baking powder is needed.
• Cherries: For this recipe, I used a jar of maraschino cherries. If you like fresh cherries, try Bing or Rainier cherries when they are in season.
• Chocolate Chips: I prefer miniature chocolate chips because they spread out more in the bread and are lighter, so they don't sink.
• Glaze: Powdered sugar and cherry juice create a sweet pink topping for the quick bread.

How To Make Cherry Banana Bread

Let's get started. Here is how to have a loaf of moist banana bread with maraschino cherries in your oven in no time.

1. Prep the cherries. Drain the jar of maraschino cherries very well. Cut each one into quarters, then pat them dry with paper towels. Let them sit on the paper towels until you are ready to fold them into the batter.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and creamy.
3. Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the eggs, sour cream, extract, and mashed banana. Beat until everything is smooth and combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently.
4. Add the dry ingredients. Slowly mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined.
5. Fold in the mixins. Gently stir a little flour into the chopped cherries, then add them and the chocolate chips to the batter.
6. Bake. Spoon the batter into a prepared loaf pan. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool. Let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding the glaze.

Storing and Freezing

Keep the unglazed bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

If the loaf is glazed, refrigerate it in a tightly sealed container to prevent the topping from soaking into the bread. Let it come to room temperature before serving.

You can also freeze the banana bread without the glaze. Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in layers of plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and glaze before serving.

More Easy Banana Bread Recipes

• Birthday Cake Banana Bread
• Peanut Butter Banana Bread
• Oreo Banana Bread
• Pecan Banana Bread
• Cinnamon Banana Bread

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