Pumpkin Banana Bread: A Delicious Autumn Recipe

Satisfy your autumn cravings with this delicious and easy-to-make Pumpkin Banana Bread recipe. Made with real pumpkin puree and ripe bananas, it’s moist, flavorful, and the perfect for breakfast or sweet treat!

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

Pumpkin is a big favorite in my house during the Fall season, so why not take classic banana bread and make it even better by adding in pumpkin, right?!

Why You’ll Love this Banana Pumpkin Bread Recipe

• A great way to add Fall into classic banana bread– if you have ripe bananas on hand, this recipe is perfect! It’s the best of both worlds by combining two favorite flavors into one amazing treat!
• Perfectly moist every time– the pumpkin addition keeps the quick bread moist until the last bite! No dry bread from this recipe.
• Customizable– you can make this into muffins, mini loaves, or a large loaf. You can also add in chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, and more!
• The ultimate grab and go breakfast or snack– if you need something quick, this moist pumpkin banana bread is just the thing to try. Grab a slice and off you go! Plus, you can give this bread away as a gift to friends, family, teachers, and neighbors.
• Freezer friendly– we love to make a double batch of mini loaves and stick the extras in our freezer. When that craving hits, we are always prepared!

Easy Banana Pumpkin Bread Ingredients Needed

Here is a brief overview of each ingredient needed, as well as some substitution/addition ideas.

• Eggs– you’ll need 4 large eggs at room temperature.
• Butter– you’ll want to use unsalted butter at room temperature. Let the butter sit on your counter for about 30 minutes for getting started. If you prefer salted butter, that works too, just omit the salt addition.
• Oil– I use vegetable oil, however, canola oil works as well.
• Vanilla Extract– use pure vanilla extract versus imitation as it adds so much more yumminess to baked goods.
• Sugar– you’ll need white granulated sugar as this gives the bread the perfect amount of sweetness.
• Flour– all purpose flour is best for this recipe. You can also use whole wheat flour at an equal 1:1 ratio.
• Baking Powder/ Baking Soda– ensure freshness by changing these out every 6 months as these give the bread their rise and texture.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice– this adds all the Fall flavor, warm spice to the quick bread. Feel free to add in some cinnamon as well.
• Salt– i use kosher salt as it enhances the flavor more than using table salt.
• Pumpkin– make sure you use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. My favorite is Libby’s canned pumpkin.
• Bananas– for the best flavor and sweetness, you’ll want to use bananas that are covered in spots. The more brown, the better. You need two medium bananas, mashed.
• Chocolate Chips– optional, but such a tasty addition. Any flavor chips works, or mini chocolate chips.

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

Variations and Substitutions

• Chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds are great in this bread. You can also add pepitas on top once the bread is baked.
• Chocolate chips are a favorite addition of ours. Although I haven’t found them in a long time, we love adding in cinnamon chips too.
• Feel free to play around with the warm spice added in addition to the pumpkin spice. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, etc are all great ideas.
• Gluten free flour can be used at a 1:1 ratio for this bread.
• Add in some dried fruit or raisins. Cranberries, dates, apricots, and blueberries are favorites in my house.
• Drizzle some maple syrup on top once baked but the bread is still warm. It will absorb into the bread and be a tasty addition.
• If you want to use oat flour, that works, just use 1¼ cup leveled unpacked oat flour to replace 1 cup leveled unpacked all-purpose flour.

How to make Banana Pumpkin Loaf

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the a 9×5 inch loaf pan, mini loaf pans, or muffin tray, depending on what you prefer.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
4. Add the pumpkin and mashed bananas into the egg mixture, mix well.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients mixture into the mixing bowl and stir until just combined.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
7. Evenly pour batter into prepared pan.
8. Place pans into preheated oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes if making large loaves, 30-35 minutes if mini loaves, and 20-30 minutes if muffins.
9. Remove from oven once toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center of bread.
10. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack before enjoying!

Photo byThe Cookin' Chicks

Expert Tips

• Avoid over-mixing the bread! As long as the butter and eggs are at room temperature, everything should combine easily and not need to be mixed too much. Mixing until just combined helps ensure the bread is moist versus becoming dry and crumbly.
• If you choose not to add chocolate chips, but want an additional sweetness added, sprinkle light brown sugar on top of the loaf just before it goes into the oven!
• Mash your bananas using two forks or a potato masher so they combine easily into the batter. You can leave them a little chunky if desired as that will add banana bits throughout the bread.
• For a more tender crust, use a light colored aluminum pan versus dark metal. Glass cooks uneven, so it’s best to use an aluminum pan.

Storing and Freezing Pumpkin Banana Bread

• Once cooled, place bread into an airtight storage container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• You can also place container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• To freeze: cool the bread and wrap in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. Store in freezer up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in refrigerator overnight.
• If you prefer your bread warm, you can reheat in microwave using 30 second increments until heated through. You can also slice the bread and place in the toaster. Enhance the flavor by spreading a warm slice with butter, adding a layer of peanut butter, or drizzling it with honey.

Exact Ingredients

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• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin (I use canned)
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 2 cups chocolate chips (optional)