Easy Pumpkin and Banana Bread Recipe
Well, here you go. My first pumpkin recipe of the season and I’ve got many more where this came from. I’ve held off as long as I can, but now the pumpkin floodgates have opened. Pumpkin puree tends to be a seasonal item even in the US where it’s well-loved. Most other countries don’t get our obsession with pumpkin, and I pity international food blog readers who read US-based blogs for three months a year. We’re making pumpkin breads, smoothies, pies, brownies, and more, and it’s one big pumpkin fest and they can’t even buy it. Steaming, mashing, and pureeing squash or sweet potatoes is likely the closest substitute.
I had elaborately built up this recipe so much in my mind so much that I even had myself a little worried about what if it didn’t turn out like I had envisioned. I had been fantasizing about it for what seemed like years. All I had to do was get my hands on a can of pumpkin puree, which was easy because I knew I had two cans of Trader Joe’s pumpkin puree stashed in my cupboard from last fall. Pumpkin hoarders, take note that you can stash away pumpkin puree for a couple years and still be safe in case you can’t get Libby’s year round in your area. Luckily, this pumpkin banana bread turned out to be everything I wanted and more.
The golden top layer is the bread equivalent of a muffin top. Since I go around picking off muffin tops, you can use your imagination about what happened to the top layer on all the slices of this bread. The pumpkin spice banana bread’s flavor is equally balanced between pumpkin bread and banana bread. The moisture and softness level of the bread is out of this world. The addition of Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, bananas, a box of instant pudding mix, and a tablespoon of molasses not only all boost the flavor depth and profile of the bread, but each of those ingredients also tenderize it. If you’re a dry bread hater like I am, you have nothing to worry about with this loaf.
It’s also a snap to make. No creaming of ingredients, just stir everything into one big bowl, pour into a loaf pan, and bake. I’m sure you could bake the batter as muffins or in a Bundt or tube-cake pan, too. To make this amazing pumpkin banana bread loaf even better, I whipped up some browned butter cream cheese frosting. The tang of the cream cheese, the comforting and homey quality imparted from the browned butter, counterbalanced with the sweetness from the confectioners’ sugar make it a frosting that I slather generously on every slice. I didn’t do it for the photographs because it looks like a big, white, smeary mess, but spreading the frosting all over the interior surface of a slice of bread, like you’re buttering a slice of bread, is simply divine and highly recommended.
What’s in Pumpkin Banana Bread?
For the pumpkin banana bread itself, you’ll need:
Unsalted butter Granulated sugar Light brown sugar Egg Plain or vanilla yogurt Vanilla extract Molasses Pumpkin puree Bananas Vanilla instant pudding mix Spices Salt All-purpose flour Baking soda
And for the browned butter frosting you’ll need:
Butter Cream cheese Powdered sugar Vanilla extract Cream or milk
How to Make Pumpkin Banana Bread
This pumpkin banana bread is a breeze to make! Simply whisk together the wet ingredients, then mix in the dry. You’ll want to let the melted butter cool for a couple minutes before mixing it in with the egg, otherwise you might scramble the egg by mistake! Turn the banana bread batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once the pumpkin banana bread is out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes in its pan before turning it out to cool on a wire rack. While the bread cools, whip up the browned butter frosting. Slice the bread while it’s still warm, but not piping hot, and dig in!
Can I Freeze Pumpkin Banana Bread?
Yes, quick breads freeze well. To freeze this pumpkin banana bread, let it cool completely on your counter and then wrap it in plastic wrap or foil (note that you should freeze it without the frosting). When you’re ready to eat the frozen bread, set it on your counter overnight to thaw.
Can I Add Mix-Ins to This Bread?
Yes, you can add up to 1/3 cup of mix-ins to this pumpkin banana bread. Think: raisins, shredded carrots, shredded coconut flakes, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, etc. You don’t want to add too many mix-ins, otherwise your pumpkin spice banana bread will overflow in the oven.
Can the Instant Vanilla Pudding Be Omitted?
If you don’t have instant pudding mix in your area, you can omit it. Although you don’t have to use pudding mix, it creates wonderful moisture and flavor in the bread. If omitting, you may wish to add an additional 1/4 cup granulated sugar and an additional 1/4 to 1/3 cup flour, based on taste preference and how your batter looks.
Tips for Making Pumpkin Banana Bread
If desired, enhance the pumpkin flavor by adding more pumpkin puree and cutting back on the mashed bananas a bit, or by adding a more generous amount of pumpkin pie spice. However, I wanted pumpkin-banana bread, not just pumpkin bread, and am pleased with the balance. If the pumpkin and banana bread is browning too fast on the top, you may wish to lower your oven temperature to 325F or tent the pan with foil in during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Finally, make sure you’re using real pumpkin puree in this banana bread recipe and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and spiced and will throw off the flavor of this bread.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes:
Check out all of my pumpkin recipes here! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting — These super soft and moist pumpkin bars are the perfect EASY fall dessert!! Tangy cream cheese frosting is a wonderful complement to these perfectly pumpkin-spiced bars!!
Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — Moist pumpkin cake is topped with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. This easy fall dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, and more!
The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread — This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is truly the best homemade pumpkin bread you’ll ever make. It’s moist, packed with chocolate chips, and tastes like fall!
Pumpkin Spice Honey Cookies — The cookies are moist, supremely soft, with hints of chewiness at the edges, and their flavor is pure fall.
Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread — The cream cheese layer that runs through the bread is like having a layer of cheesecake baked into pumpkin bread!
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are bursting with chocolate chips in every bite! They’re thick, hearty, perfectly chewy, and not at all cakey.
Pumpkin Lush — This is a layered dessert that begins with a slightly crunchy graham cracker crust, a sweet yet tangy layer of cream cheese, a layer of vanilla pudding that’s spiked with pumpkin, and it’s topped with whipped topping.
Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake – A FAST and EASY no-mixer coffee cake with rich pumpkin flavor!! Super soft, tender, and topped with the BEST crumble topping that you’ll fall in love with!
