Pumpkin banana bread gives the classic that is banana bread an added dimension of deliciousness! Just writing this post makes me want to bake another loaf.
I have had a few cans of puréed pumpkin sitting in my pantry for a while. As I mentioned recently, I opened a can to make a pumpkin latte, so I needed to use up the leftovers. I wasn’t in the mood for anything complicated, and quick breads are the ultimate in easy baking. No yeast, no kneading, and made in one pan. I had a couple of bananas sitting in the freezer to use, so it was a pretty easy decision to make this scrumptious bread.
Ingredients
Butter: Makes the bread moist and delicious.
Brown Sugar: The warmth of brown sugar goes nicely with the bananas and the pumpkin.
Honey: Adds sweetness and gives the bread a beautiful color.
Eggs: Gives the bread richness and structure.
Pumpkin Purée: Canned pumpkin makes this recipe really easy. A can of pumpkin is roughly two cups.
Ripe Banana: I like to stick my overripe banana in the freezer. They make the absolute best baked goods.
Orange Juice: Adds brightness and helps keep the bread moist.
Vanilla Extract: Adds delicious flavor to baked goods.
Whole Wheat Flour: I love the flavor and hardiness of whole wheat. I always have it available this time of year for my homemade pizza. By using a mixture of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, the bread is still light and airy.
All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda: The structure and leavening of the bread.
Salt: Brings out the flavor.
Cinnamon: The spice of the season. Perfect with both pumpkin and banana.
Instructions
It is important that you start with room-temperature ingredients. The butter and eggs should both be pulled from the refrigerator a few hours prior to starting your bread. I keep my leftover canned pumpkin in the freezer. If you have your pumpkin and/or bananas in the freezer or the refrigerator they should also be pulled out ahead of time.
Grease or spray a loaf pan to ensure the bread is easy to remove once baked. I like to use the paper from my softened stick of butter to grease the loaf pan.
Preheat your oven then combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Next, thoroughly beat your wet ingredients until well combined.
Stir the dry ingredients until just combined. Much like when making muffins, you will want to avoid over mixing to keep the batter light and tender.
Pour or spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes. I like to check quick bread after about an hour. If any raw batter remains on top, bake another five minutes and check again. Repeat until the tester comes clean.
Once cooled, remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. Store any leftover pumpkin banana bread in an airtight container. I found this bread tasted every better the next day!
Pumpkin-Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (1 stick) softened
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup puréed pumpkin
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or spray a 5×9 loaf pan.Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a medium bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, honey, eggs, pumpkin, banana, orange juice, and vanilla.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin/banana mixture until no streaks of flour remain.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake the bread for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the loaf pan. I like to run a butter knife around the edges of pan the help assure the bread will come out cleanly. Store in an airtight container.