Who can resist the call of pumpkin banana bread?! This scrumptious seasonal recipe is the perfect combination of two classic flavors. Moist, fluffy, and full of spices we all know and love - settle down with a slice (or two) of this fabulous banana pumpkin bread and enjoy all the flavors of the season!
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Banana bread is just all kinds of good. But when you add pumpkin to the mix? Well, that's when things start to get really delicious! Bananas and pumpkin puree both offer gorgeous taste and texture, and with the addition of cream cheese, my pumpkin banana bread is just beyond amazing.
I love to bake this bread in the fall when pumpkins are in season, and everyone is getting into the autumnal spirit. But really, you can enjoy this pumpkin banana bread recipe year-round! No matter when you make it, I guarantee you'll love it!
Slather my pumpkin banana bread with some butter or a whipped cream cheese frosting if you're feeling indulgent. Add a cup of coffee or tea, and you've got yourself the perfect breakfast treat.
Why You'll Love My Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe
- Ideal for using over-ripe bananas. Do you have some super spotty bananas taking up space on your counter? Don't toss them - use them in this pumpkin banana bread recipe! Over-ripe bananas are perfect for baking as they add a natural sweetness to baked goods.
- Delightfully moist. Not only does pumpkin puree add delicious flavor and an amazing orange hue to the bread, but it also gives my banana pumpkin bread the most beautiful texture.
- Uses cupboard staples. Most of us have an array of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in our spice cabinets - and this recipe puts them to good use! These spices not only add some warming flavor, but they also make your house smell like fall!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Brown sugar
- Sugar
- Pumpkin puree
- Cream cheese
- Eggs
- Banana
- Maple extract
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
Instructions for Banana Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a small saucepan, heat pumpkin over medium low heat stirring every 2-3 until it's thickened and shiny. This will take about 8 minutes.
- Whisk together dry ingredients, spices, and sugars in a large bowl.
- After the pumpkin is reduced, turn off the heat. Add cream cheese and stir until smooth.
- Add the banana, eggs, and maple extract to cream cheese and pumpkin mixture. Stir until combined.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and fold together.
- Pour the batter into one bread pan, standard size (4.5in x 8.5 in or 9in x 5in).
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet and a toothpick comes out almost clean.
Banana bread is the perfect canvas for all sorts of mix-ins! And my banana pumpkin bread with maple is no different. My family loves chocolate chip banana bread (I mean, who doesn't love chocolate?!), and the chocolate also works well in this pumpkin banana bread.
You could also stir in some chopped nuts or add fruit, as seen in my strawberry banana bread and blueberry banana bread! Or why not go crazy and add a streusel topping as I did in my pumpkin muffin recipe?
Whether you use mix-ins or not - just be sure not to overmix the batter, as this can make your pumpkin banana bread tough.
One of the best things about this pumpkin banana recipe is that the cake is super moist. But this can also make it tricky to tell if it is fully baked or not!
Here are some tricks to know when your pumpkin banana bread is fully baked:
-Ensure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature
-Insert a toothpick or skewer when baked; it should come out almost clean
-The top of your loaf should no longer be wet. If you lightly press down on the top of the cake - it should also spring back up.
-While the pumpkin does add some color to the batter, your banana pumpkin bread will brown on top when fully cooked
-The sides of the pumpkin banana bread may also start to pull away from the pan slightly
Top tip: make sure the banana is fully mashed before adding it to the batter! Any big chunks of banana can affect the texture and leave residue on the toothpick when testing for doneness (which may lead to you overbaking your pumpkin banana bread!)
Once you take it out of the oven, allow your pumpkin banana cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
My banana pumpkin bread will stay fresh when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Or you can wrap the whole banana pumpkin bread loaf (or individual slices) and freeze it for up to 3 months.
When you're ready for a slice, simply thaw overnight and enjoy!
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Pumpkin Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (all-purpose)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar (granulated)
- 15 ounces pumpkin (pureed, 1 regular can)
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 eggs (large)
- 1 cup banana (mashed, 2-3 bananas)
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a small saucepan, heat pumpkin over medium low heat stirring every 2-3 until it's thickened and shiny. This will take about 8 minutes.
- Whisk together dry ingredients, spices, and sugars in a large bowl.
- After the pumpkin is reduced, turn off the heat. Add cream cheese and stir until smooth.
- Add the banana, eggs, and maple extract to cream cheese and pumpkin mixture. Stir until combined.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and fold together.
- Pour the batter into one bread pan, standard size (4.5in x 8.5 in or 9in x 5in).
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet and a toothpick comes out almost clean.
Alli
Perfect for Fall!