Pumpkin Banana Bread – Ultra-moist banana bread gets even better with the addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice.
Man, is it already November?! Where has this year gone?? I know I’ve said this before, but having a newborn has completely thrown off my sense of time. Can you relate?? I feel like all my time and energy has gone into making her happy that I’ve let the season slip right by me. I’ve barely baked anything pumpkin-spiced!
But don’t you worry – I’ve got a couple more fall recipes scheduled before the season completely slips away.
First, I am starting with this Pumpkin Banana Bread. I know, I know… since it’s a new month, I should have started it with a new cookie recipe. But baby Lucy has thrown a little wrench into those plans so this is where we’re at, okay? I promise you won’t be disappointed, though!
Before we get into the recipe, let’s take a look at this incredibly moist bread, shall we??
Banana bread has always been a favorite of mine – the flavor, the textures, the smell – I love it all! But banana bread has been done before many times. Now, banana cake is something I’ve had on my radar for a while, but I wanted a simple recipe I could handle in-between Lucy’s naps, which had gone from two hours-long to just 40 minutes.
So it got me thinking…how can I transfer this banana bread into something new but simple?? And then I stumbled upon this incredible Pumpkin Banana Bread recipe from the Pioneer Woman and I thought “What a genius idea!” Banana bread and pumpkin bread are both known for being incredibly moist, and both flavors go so well with the spices of fall so I knew the combination would be unstoppable.
If you haven’t made banana bread before, I can bet money that you’ll be surprised at how easy it is. There’s no fancy equipment, no complicated steps, and only simple ingredients. You don’t even need a stand mixer! Even though I have one, I never use it for banana bread. Why bother when you’re simply stirring things together???
In case you need some tips to help you get through this recipe, I’ve got a few here for ya:
- In case this isn’t obvious, the bananas are super important in banana bread. More specifically, the age of the bananas is super important. Therefore, you want to use bananas that are super, duper ripe. The more spots the better! If you decide to make this bread and you don’t have ripe bananas, there are ways to ripen the bananas quickly. Look it up!
- Because banana bread is a tall baked good, it takes a while to bake. Sometimes the outside will get too brown before the inside is fully-cooked. To prevent this, keep an eye on your bread and top with foil when you notice the top beginning to get too brown.
- Be very careful not to over-mix this batter. If you mix too much, it will make the bread tense and tough.
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two rectangle loaf pans by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices to a medium bowl. Whisk together to combine. In another large bowl, whisk sugars, oil, and eggs together. Add pumpkin puree and mashed banana. Whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and fold together. Fold in chopped walnuts.
- Divide batter evenly among the two prepared loaf pans. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the loaf.
- Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from loaf pan to cool completely. Do not slice until completely cool to ensure the loaf does not crumble during the slicing process.
Notes
Pin for later:
More recipes you’ll love:
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
I love the texture and colour of this bread and adding nuts makes it perfect! I remember making so many loaves of banana bread when the kids were small, sometimes that’s all you have time for!
I added dark choc chips and used Greek yogurt instead of oil. Haven’t tried it yet, sounds really yummy though.
Oooh I love these modifications! Let me know how it turned out!!
This IS the bread I want for breakfast every day! Thanks for sharing a really simple fantastic recipe!
Finally October’s here – time for some delicious bread recipes that just taste a bit better at this time of the year 🙂 Delicious-looking bread with the perfect texture!
I can never resist a good banana bread and this looks totally dreamy. The spices sound great and I bet the pumpkin adds a wonderful something extra.
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I just love this pumpkin bread. You are so right, its moist and yummy! I love that you use bananas, a healthy choice and a great way to keep the bread moist as well!
MMMM ! I bake banana bread at least once a week, I’ll be trying this pumpkin version next for sure! I just tried a pumpkin/banana muffin recipe, but it didn’t turn out to well, will have to tinker some more with it!
Such a great recipe for Pumpkin Bread. This is an easy recipe to make wit my niece who loves to bake and shes 6 ! Keeps her loving baking
Toddlers doesnt make your schedule an easyier. I am still trying to find a balance. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It looks like soething my toddler will like.
Ooooh this looks good! I need to make this!
I’m not a big fan of pumpkin, but I do really like banana bread. And I can for sure see a big slice of this, warm, slathered in butter, on a plate in front of me right now 🙂
This bread sounds like a perfect way for me to use up my brown bananas. What a delicious combination. I can’t think of anything better than bananas and pumpkin together!
What a perfect fall treat! And I have all the ingredients in my kitchen right now!! Just going to wait for my bananas to get extra ripened!
I LOVE banana bread, so thank you for the great recipe. I bet combination of the banana and pumpkin works really well.
I love banana bread and this is even better with the addition of pumpkin puree and spice! The crunch and nuttiness from the walnuts is another great touch!
I keep a stockpile of ripe bananas in my freezer just in case the banana bread craving ever hits! Looks like this will be a great way to use some of them up! Thanks for sharing.
Omg yum! This sounds fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m going to be hosting for thanksgiving, Soo I’ll have to make this for our fam.
This looks insanely delicious!!
Pumpkin and banana bread might just be the perfect fall combo! Both are such a huge hit in my home and I know this recipe would be as well!
I have pumpkin and overripe bananas that I need to use so this is the perfect recipe for me right now. Sounds delicious!
I love making chocolate chip banana bread so this pumpkin banana bread will be perfect for the fall! I can’t wait to try it. 🙂
The texture of this banana bread is on point! I love the idea of a combined banana and pumpkin bread because the sweetness of the banana would compliment the pumpkin so well. YUM
Oh, how sweet this bread looks like! Wonderful combination of ingredients. This is really a great job. Looks very nice and delicious. Of course I want to try your recipe. Thanks.
I would have never thought to add pumpkin to banana bread – what a great idea! I absolutely love this for Fall 🙂
Ooooh…this looks amazing, for this beautiful fall weekend ahead, Sharon! My mouth is actually watering. Haha!
I am for sure making this. It’s on for the weekend
The texture on this bread looks perfect! Can’t wait to make it.
What a delicious fall time bread recipe! I love banana bread and adding pumpkin puree and spices is such a great idea. Love the addition of walnuts too.
Such a great way to make banana bread seasonal! The crunchy walnuts are my favorite part. I definitely know what you mean about newborns throwing off your WHOLE schedule – we’re living that life too!