Made with pumpkin puree, ripe bananas, and warm spices this pumpkin banana bread is a perfect treat for fall. Make a large loaf of delicious fall flavors with this quick bread recipe.
We love banana bread recipes (which is why we have A LOT on this website) but my husband may have just marked this moist pumpkin banana bread one of his favorites.
He is a huge fan of pumpkin-flavored anything during the fall months, so this bread is right up his alley. Once made, it didn't last long. Spreading some soft butter on a warm slice is all you need for a seasonal snack.
Don't have any pumpkin puree on hand? Check out my Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread recipe!
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple ingredients. We use very simple and basic banana bread ingredients for this recipe (including ripe bananas and pumpkin puree).
- No fancy baking equipment. Mix everything together with a fork, electric mixer, or whisk, and then pour it into a pan and bake. No need to get pile up the dirty dishes.
- One loaf or two. We liked this recipe's nice large loaf, but did you know you could divide the batter and make two loaves instead of one? Well, now you do!
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients
All-purpose Flour- This is the structural base of the recipe.
Leavening Agents- You will need both baking powder and baking soda to make this bread puff up and rise nicely as it bakes.
Salt- Salt is a natural flavor enhancer, and by adding it to this recipe, it will work hard to make sure that the other flavors in the recipe taste even better.
Pumpkin Pie Spice- Use pumpkin pie spice to give us some warm fall flavors in every slice.
Sugars- You will need granulated and brown sugar to make this bread taste sweet and fabulous.
Vegetable Oil- Adding in vegetable oil will give our bread the necessary fats it needs to remain moist.
Eggs- Use eggs as a binding agent to help hold the loaf together.
Pumpkin Puree- For real pumpkin flavor and a nice orange color you'll want to use pumpkin puree. You can use canned pumpkin puree or homemade but make sure to not use canned pie filling as that is totally different!
Ripe Bananas- What would a banana bread be without bananas? You're going to want some ripe spotted bananas for this recipe.
For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make pumpkin banana bread with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease the inside of a 9x5 bread loaf pan.
Add your flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices to a large mixing bowl.
Whisk together until mixed.
In another bowl, add the sugars, oil, and eggs.
Whisk together until blended.
Add in the pumpkin puree and mashed bananas.
Mix until combined.
Fold in the flour mixture.
Stir until no flour streaks remain.
Pour the batter into your loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean (or with just a few moist crumbs).
If the top of the loaf is turning browner than you'd like, you can lay a piece of foil over the top. This will keep if from darkening further. I like to add the foil during the last 30-40 minutes.
Let the bead cool in the pan for 5 minutes before flipping over and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Let cool completely. Serve and enjoy.
🧾 Substitutions
Pumpkin pie spice. You can DIY your own pumpkin pie spice by mixing together 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (or 5 teaspoons) along with 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves or allspice. Mix together and then use as much as directed. Save the rest for future recipes for up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
Want Pumpkin Banana Muffins?
- Scoop into muffin pan, filling each one about ⅔rd of the way full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- You will make about 24 muffins.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Oils
Using canola or vegetable oil is the way I like to go, but you could also use softened/melted butter or coconut oil, depending on your preference.
Ripe bananas
Make sure to use ripe bananas for this recipe. This means that the more brown spots that are on your bananas- the better. Riper bananas are easier to mash, sweeter to taste, and have a lot more banana flavor as well.
One loaf or two?
You can divide the batter into (2) 8x4 bread loaf pans and bake for about 60 minutes, or you can bake in (2) 9x5 bread loaf pans for roughly 45-50 minutes. Check on the loaves with a toothpick and adjust the bake time as needed.
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
If desired, you can add in up to 1 cup of any of the following:
- White chocolate chips
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Dried cranberries
- Grated coconut
You could also drizzle some cream cheese frosting over the top for a little "something extra."
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Room temp
This loaf can be kept stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 or 5 days. For the best tasting results, I recommend eating within 3 days as that is when it is freshest.
Freezer
Yes, this bread can be frozen. To do this, bake and cool as directed. Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil before placing into an airtight container or gallon sized Ziploc baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months, before thawing and eating.
💭 FAQs
No. This recipe uses canned pumpkin puree, but you can use homemade pumpkin puree instead. Do not use pumpkin pie filling because it is not the same. Canned pie filling already has added ingredients, which will completely change the recipe and affect the final results (in a negative way).
If you overmixed your bread batter you will have overworked the gluten in the flour which will result in a tough, dense loaf of bread. Avoid this by only mixing until everything is combined.
You will know that your bread has finished baking when the top is a nice dome, feels hard to the touch (like a crust), and you can insert a toothpick into the center and have it come out dry or with just a few crumbs. The internal temperature should register about 200 degrees F on an instant read thermometer as well.
More great pumpkin recipes to check out soon
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Pumpkin Brioche French Toast
- Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour ($0.24)
- 2 teaspoon Baking Soda ($0.02)
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder ($0.04)
- 1 teaspoon Salt ($0.10)
- 1 ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice ($0.15)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar ($0.22)
- ½ cup Brown Sugar ($0.18)
- ⅔ cup Vegetable Oil ($0.32)
- 3 large Eggs ($0.24)
- 1 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree ($1.50)
- 1 cup Mashed Ripe Banana ($0.75)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease the inside of a 9x5 bread loaf pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices until mixed.
- In another bowl, whisk together the sugars, oil, and eggs until combined.
- Add in the pumpkin puree and mashed bananas.
- Fold in the flour mixture until no flour streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into your loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean (or with just a few moist crumbs).
- If the top of the loaf is turning browner than you'd like, you can lay a piece of foil over the top. This will keep if from darkening further. I like to add the foil during the last 30-40 minutes.
- Let the bead cool in the pan for 5 minutes before flipping over and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Let cool completely. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Variations
- Muffins. Scoop into muffin pan, filling each one about ⅔rd of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. You will make about 24 muffins.
Recipe Tips
- Using canola or vegetable oil is the way I like to go, but you could also use softened/melted butter or coconut oil, depending on your preference.
- Make sure to use ripe bananas for this recipe. This means that the more brown spots that are on your bananas- the better. Riper bananas are easier to mash, sweeter to taste, and have a lot more banana flavor as well.
- You can divide the batter into (2) 8x4 bread loaf pans and bake for about 60 minutes, or you can bake in (2) 9x5 bread loaf pans for roughly 45-50 minutes. Check on the loaves with a toothpick and adjust the bake time as needed.
- This recipe uses canned pumpkin puree, but you can use homemade pumpkin puree instead. Do not use pumpkin pie filling because it is not the same. Canned pie filling already has added ingredients, which will completely change the recipe and affect the final results (in a negative way).
Recipe Add-Ins
If desired, you can add in up to 1 cup of any of the following:- White chocolate chips
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Dried cranberries
- Grated coconut
- You could also drizzle some cream cheese frosting over the top for a little "something extra."
Storage
- This loaf can be kept stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 or 5 days. For the best tasting results, I recommend eating within 3 days as that is when it is freshest.
- This bread can be frozen. To do this, bake and cool as directed. Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil before placing into an airtight container or gallon sized Ziploc baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months, before thawing and eating.
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