Pumpkin Banana Bread
It happened. Two weeks ago. I became the teeniest, tiniest bit excited about fall. I’m not ready to bust out the boots and don my flannel, but I’m ready to dabble in pumpkin. Pumpkin Banana Bread, specifically.
I’m normally a hold-onto-summer-kick-and-screaming kind of girl.
Thus, while I’m not ready to launch into full-on pumpkin bread baking mode with all-in autumn recipes like Healthy Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, and Paleo Pumpkin Bread, I’m feeling a little flirty.
We’ve had some cooler mornings and earlier sunsets, and all of the back to school sales remind me that fall has nearly arrived. After avoiding its glances for the last few weeks, I finally fell for the can of pumpkin that’s been winking at me from our pantry shelf.
Had I known how delicious this Pumpkin Banana Bread would turn out to be, I would have cracked the can sooner!
If you’re ready to dabble too, this healthy Pumpkin Banana Bread is the ideal way to begin. It’s not completely committal, but it hints at the plaid shirts, boots, and pumpkin spice lattes (and pumpkin spice everything else) to come.
Healthy Pumpkin Banana Bread — The Best of Both Worlds
Considering my laundry list of healthy pumpkin bread recipes is rivaled only by my collection of healthy banana bread recipes (ahem, classic Healthy Banana Bread, Paleo Banana Bread, Cream Cheese Banana Bread…), it was only a matter of time before the two got together to create a tasty Pumpkin Banana Bread baby.
This Pumpkin Banana Bread is lightly sweet but not overly so, and the majority of the sweetness comes from the natural sugars in the banana itself.
This Pumpkin Banana Bread recipe also receives mega marks in the texture department. Both pumpkin and banana are fabulous at keeping baked goods moist and tender, so with the two joining forces, this is one of the most melt-in-your-mouth bread recipes you’ll ever bake.
As written, this healthy Pumpkin Banana Bread is 100% whole wheat but doesn’t taste it at all thanks to white whole wheat flour, which is mild and tastes like regular white all-purpose flour in this recipe.
If you’d like Pumpkin Banana Bread gluten free, you can use the same amount of a 1:1 gluten free baking blend like this one. To make the Pumpkin Banana Bread vegan is trickier. Because this bread is already so moist, I fear using flax eggs in place the regular eggs is risky. I’d suggest scratching your pumpkin itch with these Vegan Pumpkin Muffins instead.
I haven’t yet tried this recipe as Pumpkin Banana Bread muffins, but I think that would work nicely and have a suggested baking time in the recipe below.
So which are you: Team Endless Summer or Team Early Fall? Fortunately, with this Pumpkin Banana Bread, you can play both sides of the season!
Recommended Tools to Bake This Pumpkin Banana Bread
- 8×4 inch loaf pan (I am a diehard fan of this pan and this brand’s entire line of bakeware)
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pecan halves or walnut halves — optional; you can also swap other mix-ins of choice such as golden raisins, cranberries, or chocolate chips
- 1 cup mashed banana — the riper the better (about 2 large bananas)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter — at room temperature
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 large eggs — at room temperature
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree — NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice — or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and a pinch of ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If using nuts for the mix-ins, spread them onto a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until toasted and fragrant, about 8 to 12 minutes depending upon the size of the nuts. Do not walk away during the last few minutes of baking (this is when nuts love to burn). Immediately transfer to a cutting board. Let cool a few minutes, then roughly chop. Lightly coat an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
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In a small bowl, mash the bananas measure them out to ensure that you have 1 cup. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and coconut sugar until smooth and combined. Beat in the measured banana, Greek yogurt, honey, eggs, pumpkin (feel free to reuse the measuring cup you used for the banana to measure the pumpkin), and vanilla. Sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt over the top. Sprinkle the flour over the top, then with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir by hand, just until the flour disappears. Fold in the pecans or another mix-ins.
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Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and let rest uncovered at room temperature for 15 minutes (Don’t skip this step! Resting helps the flour absorb the wet ingredients and will give you a better texture and flavor).
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Bake the bread for 55 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another quick check is to see if the bread reaches 190 to 200 F degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Check the bread at the 35-minute mark. If it is browning more quickly than you would like, loosely tent the pan with foil and continue baking as directed. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely, then remove the bread from the pan wrap the loaf tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or even better, overnight (I know this step sounds odd but it works and makes the bread taste incredible). Slice and devour!
Recipe Notes
- This bread recipe works well when doubled! For the pumpkin, use the full (15-ounce) can. It will be a scant 1 cup of pumpkin per loaf, but the recipe will turn out fine.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. I like to cut the cooled bread into slices, then wrap and freeze them individually and pull them out as I need/want/CRAVE them.
- To bake as muffins (not yet tested but based on my best judgment): Line a muffin pan with paper liners or lightly coat with baking spray. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 or so of the way to the top. Bake at 375 degrees F for 22 to 27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Nutrition Information
Amount per serving (1slice (of 10)) — Calories: 230, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Carbohydrates: 32g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 18g, Protein: 5gDid you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
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About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
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Bring on the pumpkin bread, and this with banana sounds fabulous!
Whooo hooo! Thanks Kori!
This posting made me laugh! You are both a great cook and a great writer. What a great idea to combine two of my favorite things–bananas and pumpkin! And it’s never too early for pumpkin, in my mind. I bake with pumpkin all year long!
Lisa, I am blushing, thank you!!!!
Erin, is there really 20 grams of fat in this recipe per slice or is that a typo?
Hi Annita, yes, that is a typo—it should be closer to 10 grams. Thank you for pointing it out!
I’m LITERALLY going bananas for this fall loaf!
I already know pumpkin and banana is sure to be a delicious combination!! So excited I have ripe bananas and pumpkin on hand right now too! :)
Would regular whole wheat flour work instead of white whole wheat flour
Hi Kay, yes, you can use regular whole wheat flour! The taste may be a little more nutty but the bread should still turn out.
Looks delicious!! Would all-purpose flour work for this recipe? If so, do you think the quantity would need any adjusting?
Hi Emily, you can use all-purpose in the same amount here. I hope you enjoy!
Haha, I’m Team Endless Summer (literally, it’s always summer here)! But I love pumpkin and banana and I eat them any time in the year! This bread sounds absolutely delicious :)
This is delicious and so moist! Tastes like an exact combo of banana and pumpkin bread..you get both flavors! I only had regular whole wheat flour on hand it it came out perfectly! Will definitely be making all fall :)
Hooray! I’m so glad to hear the recipe was a hit, Elaine. :)
Hello Erin! i like your recipes all the way from Kenya in East Africa, great job! We try some and they are great!
please i am requesting you to share with me the perfect enjoyable Dark moist chocolate cake, and please, is their a substitute for bicarbonate of soda in the recipe?
We recently tried to make one and it was a complete flop, besides i had bad tummy for days!
please share with me. thanks!
Mercy
Hi Mercy, I have two chocolate cake recipes that you might enjoy, this triple chocolate cake and this mocha cake. Baking soda is a very common ingredient in cakes, so I would recommend doing an internet search for possible substitutions. I have not tried any myself, so I can’t guarantee substituting would work. Thanks so much for the kind words about my recipes!
I made this bread last night, just love it it is so moist, sure will keep on making it….
I’m glad to hear it’s a favorite, Murielle! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review!
Wow looks so yummy.
Olga.
I made these last night and they are terrific! I used half whole wheat flour and half all purpose, as well as dark chocolate chips. I will definitely make these again, thank you!
I’m glad to hear it was a winner, Christina! Thanks so much for sharing your swaps and this great review. :)
This one is a keeper! It made the house smell incredible, of course, and tastes just as great. I opted for chocolate chips instead of nuts and used whole wheat pastry flour, which worked well. I used raw honey but am wondering about subbing a lower-GI sweetener, perhaps a combination of molasses and maple syrup?
Kristin, I’m so glad you enjoy the bread! I think you could swap in maple syrup, but I’d go easy on the molasses as its flavor can quickly become overwhelming. If you decide to experiment with different sugars, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Whoa! Just had a slice and it is good! Thanks for a great recipe that’s about to go on repeat this fall.
Megan, I’m happy to hear it’s a hit! Thanks so much for taking the time to report back.
Yum!! Another winner Erin. I love the consistency of this bread. I made a double batch so I can share with my hiking group when we go to the mountains to see the Fall colors. Seriously, I have never gone wrong with any of your recipes. Well done!
Sherrie, snacking on this bread during a fall mountain hike sounds like a DREAM! I’m so glad you enjoy it!
I’m looking up this recipe to make for the second time because it is a hit! I made them into muffins (made 21, filling cups 3/4 full) and my non pumpkin loving 6 year old even enjoyed them.
SO happy to hear that Sarah, thank you!!!
Could you use coconut oil instead of butter?
Hi Jacqui, I haven’t tried the recipe that way, but I think you could experiment! The texture may turn out slightly different, but if you do give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Really moist and really good! I used chocolate pieces as my mix in – family loved it! Next time I’ll double the recipe to freez one loaf.
I’m glad it was a winner, Kathryn! Thanks so much for taking the time to report back!
Made a loaf of this last week and we had it for our breakfast on our way to the Shawnee Wine Trail (southern IL). Was really moist. I made it with the pecans and the next time I make it (and I will be doing just that!), I think I’ll add some raisins. My husband is not a squash/pumpkin person but he liked this as well as I did. By the way, you should really think about this wine trail – we had some fabulous samples at many wineries and brought home enough to last for awhile and almost fill our wine closet…perfect! Again, thanks for a great recipe.
Chris, adding it to my list! However did you suspect I’d love it ;-) In other news, soooo glad you both loved this bread. The raisins for next time sounds delish!
Can you substitute the greek yogurt for anything? If not, not a big deal. I just don’t have any plain greek yogurt on hand.
Hi Rosa, you could use sour cream! I hope you enjoy.
Another amazing recipe! I can say it is definitely a keeper and I still gotta refrigerate the final product, can’t wait to taste it again tomorrow!
Isabel, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for taking the time to review!