Pumpkin Banana Bread
Classic banana bread gets the fall treatment in this pumpkin banana bread, made with deliciously sweet pumpkin puree and the delicate crunch of chopped pecans.
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Table of Contents
- About Pumpkin Banana Bread
- What’s in pumpkin banana bread?
- Pumpkin puree vs pumpkin pie filling
- Can you still use pumpkin pie filling?
- How long does this bread last?
- Can you freeze pumpkin banana bread?
- Notes & tips for banana pumpkin bread
- More delicious pumpkin recipes
- Other tasty bread recipes
- How to make pumpkin banana bread
- Recipe Details
About Pumpkin Banana Bread
Jazz up your favorite classic banana bread with this fall spin: pumpkin-spice-infused pumpkin puree laced with the delicate crunch of chopped pecans.
What’s in pumpkin banana bread?
To have your own loaf of freshly baked pumpkin banana bread, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Self-rising flour – Different from all-purpose flour, self-rising flour is flour that has a bit of baking powder and salt already added to it. If you don’t have this type of flour (or simply don’t want t buy it) you can make your own: for every two cups of all-purpose flour, add 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Overripe bananas – Because you can’t have banana bread without ripe bananas.
- Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice – For that delicious pumpkin flavor.
- Light brown sugar, milk, eggs, baking soda, and canola oil – Classic baking ingredients.
- Chopped pecans – Totally optional, but they give this moist cake bread a delicate crunch.
- Powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla – Used for making the cream cheese glaze. The glaze is optional, but cream cheese is always a great compliment for pumpkin.
Pumpkin puree vs pumpkin pie filling
When it comes to holiday treats, you’re going to be faced with two types of canned pumpkin in the baking aisle:
Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling.
And while these types might seem interchangeable, there is a slight (yet significant) difference.
With pumpkin puree, the only contents are cooked and mashed pumpkin (or a variety of winter gourds), with no added flavors or spices. Pumpkin pie filling is made with cooked and mashed pumpkin, too, but it also has flavor added, typically with pumpkin pie spice.
The key difference here is convenience. If you don’t have (or don’t want to buy) pumpkin pie spice, using pumpkin pie filling can save you some time and effort; you simply add it to the recipe and skip measuring the spices. However, it does limit your ability to control the taste, and if you’re using the pumpkin pie filling with other flavors, there’s no way to guarantee how they’ll interact.
This is why you’ll see many homemade recipes use pumpkin puree (which, again, is just the gourds, no added flavor) and season and spice the recipe by hand as needed. It is a tad more work but it also gives you more control over the flavor of your fall treats.
Can you still use pumpkin pie filling?
If pumpkin pie filling is what you have to work with, then yes, you can use it in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the pumpkin pie spice when mixing the ingredients.
How long does this bread last?
How long this bread lasts will depend on how you store it, as well as whether or not you’ve already drizzled it with the cream cheese glaze.
Without glaze: This bread can be stored in a sealed container on the counter for up three or four days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
With glaze: The bread can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
And like most homemade bread, the flavor of this loaf will intensify after two days.
Can you freeze pumpkin banana bread?
Yes, you totally can!
When stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, this cake bread will keep its “best” quality for about two or three months. After that point, the texture of the bread might change, but it will remain good for up to six months frozen.
Notes & tips for banana pumpkin bread
- The cream cheese glaze is completely optional.
- If you’d like the glaze to have a pop of color, mix in a few drops of orange food coloring.
More delicious pumpkin recipes
Other tasty bread recipes
How to make pumpkin banana bread
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients: flour, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. Set this bowl aside for now.
Step 2 – Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), whip together the pumpkin puree, bananas, canola oil, milk, and eggs until smooth.
Step 3 – Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, then mix well.
Step 4 – Add the chopped pecans to the batter, then use a spatula to fold them in.
Step 5 – Spray a 9×5 bread loaf pan with baking spray, then pour the bread batter in. Use a spatula to smooth out the top into a single layer.
Step 6 – Bake!
Step 7 – While the baked bread cools, prepare the cream cheese glaze by adding powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and milk to a small bowl, then whisk them all together.
Step 8 – Drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the baked bread as you see fit.
Step 9 – Serve and enjoy!
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Ingredients
Pumpkin Banana Bread
- 2 overripe bananas, mashed (roughly 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5 bread loaf pan with baking spray, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. Set bowl aside.2 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer + large bowl), whip together pumpkin puree, bananas, canola oil, milk, and eggs on medium speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 overripe bananas, 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup milk, 2 eggs
- Drop mixer speed to low and slowly blend in dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until dry ingredients incorporate and there are minimal clumps, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove bowl from mixer. Add chopped pecans to bowl and use a spatula to gently fold them into the batter.1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Batter should be thin enough that it settles easily within the pan. If not, tap pan a few times on the counter to even it out and release any air bubbles. Make a small, lengthwise cut, about 1/2 inch deep, along the center of the bread.
- Bake bread for 45 minutes or until a tester toothpick comes out clean. Tip: Check the bread after 25-30 minutes. It if appears top is getting too brown, cover pan with a piece of aluminum foil for remaining 20-25 minutes.
- Allow bread to cool in the pan for 15-25 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and milk until smooth.1/2 cup powdered sugar, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon milk
- If you’d like glaze to be thinner, add a small splash of milk until desired consistency is reached. If you’d like glaze to be thicker, add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar at a time until glaze is thick enough.
Putting it All Together
- Once bread has cooled, drizzle cream cheese glaze on top.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
