Pumpkin Banana Bread
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This pumpkin banana bread is naturally sweetened and made with whole wheat pastry flour, ripe bananas, pumpkin puree and warm fall spices. It’s tender, moist and easy to make!
I’m so excited to share this pumpkin banana bread with you. It’s like the best parts of my healthy banana bread and pumpkin bread all in one cozy loaf. The bananas add natural sweetness, the pumpkin keeps it soft and moist, and the warm spices make the whole kitchen smell amazing while it bakes.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Pumpkin Banana Bread
Here’s why this cozy loaf has become a fall favorite around here:
- Naturally sweetened – With maple syrup and coconut sugar, this bread is naturally sweetened, giving you a delicious treat without the need for refined sugars.
- Perfectly moist – The combo of pumpkin and banana keeps every slice soft and tender without needing a ton of oil.
- Smells like fall – The warm pumpkin spice fills your kitchen while it bakes and pairs perfectly with a homemade pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin cream cold brew.
“Amazing! It tasted just like fall, and it was a big hit!”
Ingredients Needed
- whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour – this forms the base of your bread. I love using whole wheat pastry flour because it adds a bit of extra nutrition while keeping the texture light and tender. All-purpose flour works just as well if that’s what you have on hand.
- pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon – essential for that cozy, fall flavor. The combination of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon brings out the best in both the pumpkin and banana.
- eggs – provides structure and helps the bread rise.
- pumpkin puree – pumpkin puree adds moisture and that classic pumpkin flavor we all love. Make sure you’re using pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which is loaded with sugar. You can use store-bought or make homemade pumpkin puree.
- mashed bananas – you can’t have banana bread without the bananas! These add natural sweetness and help keep the bread tender (just make sure they are extra ripe).
- maple syrup – my favorite natural sweetener! This adds a lovely depth of flavor while complementing the pumpkin and banana perfectly.
- melted oil – a little bit of healthy fat keeps the bread moist and adds richness.
- coconut sugar – the less-processed upgrade for granulated sugar or brown sugar.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Recipe Substitutions
- Need a gluten-free option? I haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour but you should be able to swap the whole wheat pastry flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. If you’re looking for a gluten-free banana bread try this coconut flour banana bread or almond flour banana bread instead.
- Want to make it vegan? I haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs so I’m not sure how it would turn out, but if you try it let me know in the comments below! If you’re looking for a vegan recipe try this vegan banana bread or vegan pumpkin muffins instead.
How to Make Pumpkin Banana Bread
Step 1: Preheat your oven and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Then, combine all your dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 2: In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together all your wet ingredients.
Step 3: Add your dry ingredients to the bowl with wet ingredients. Stir to combine but don’t over-mix!
Step 4: Stir in any mix-ins (nuts or chocolate) if using.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips or nuts on top, if using.
Step 6: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Brittany’s Tip!
- Let it cool completely: I know it’s hard to wait, but letting the bread cool before slicing makes a big difference. The texture sets as it cools, and the slices hold together beautifully. Just remember to remove it from the pan after about 10 minutes so it doesn’t dry out.
How to Store
After your pumpkin banana bread has completely cooled either wrap it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or store it in an airtight container on your countertop for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
If you want to store it for longer, you can store this loaf in the freezer for up to 3 months! You can freeze the full loaf or pre-slice it for easy serving when you’re ready to thaw and enjoy. To thaw, place bread in the fridge overnight, at room temperature or defrost in the microwave or toaster oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make homemade pumpkin pie spice by mixing together 2 Tablespoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cloves and 1 teaspoon nutmeg. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for later use!
Absolutely! If you have overripe bananas stored in the freezer, just thaw them out before using. They might be a bit more watery, so I’d recommend draining off any excess liquid before mashing them for the recipe.
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup mashed banana, about 2 large or 3 medium ripe bananas
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil, avocado oil or olive oil
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and grease a 9″x5″ loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, mashed banana, maple syrup, oil, coconut sugar and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir together until just combined, making sure to not over-mix!
- Gently stir in chopped nuts or chocolate chips, if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top and top with additional chocolate chips or nuts, if using. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Make it vegan: I haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs so I’m not sure how it would turn out, but if you try it let me know in the comments below!
- Storage: Wrap your banana bread with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or store it in an airtight container on your countertop for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
This bread is amazing! I am not a pumpkin fan usually but adding the banana takes it to a whole new level! I love a good no added sugar. I subbed out gluten free flour and it’s still the lost delicious and moist fall treat!
Oh yay! This makes me so happy to hear. I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
Amazing! It tasted just like fall, and it was a big hit!
Yay! So glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Thank you for yet another great recipe! I happened to have some mushy bananas and a can of organic pumpkin puree, so this was perfect.
If others find this useful…
I didn’t have baking powder so I added a little extra baking soda. My bread loaf came out gigantic, but still delicious. I don’t know if it was the baking soda or something else.
I also didn’t have pumpkin pie spice (or ginger or nutmeg), so I just used 2 tsp cinnamon.
I used Jovial brand Organic Einkorn All-Purpose Flour, which has a “lower gluten index” and is supposed to be easier on the stomach. Not sure about the science behind it, but my stomach doesn’t hurt. 🙂 This could have also been the reason my bread was gigantic.
So glad this recipe was a hit, Tricia! Einkorn flour sounds like a great option—I may need to give it a try. Thanks for the review and for sharing your helpful notes. I really appreciate it!
Looking forward to making this recipe this afternoon! Can’t imagine it will be bad. What would be your estimate of cooking time if I wanting to make these into muffins (12 or 6 muffin cup size pan. Have both.) vs. a loaf. Thanks in advance!
Hi Ilene – I haven’t tried it, but I would start with 18-20 minutes and add more time as needed. Let me know how they turn out for you!
So sorry for the delayed update. The muffins were awesome! 12 muffin cup silcone tray and I cooked them for 20 minutes. Perfection. I like the muffins a little soft and mushy. So good. I also used low sugar chocolate chips but no nuts.
Can I leave the pumpkin out and use the recipe the same? Looks really good!!
I’m not sure how it would turn out since there’s quite a bit of pumpkin puree in the recipe. I’d probably recommend making my healthy banana bread recipe if you don’t want to use pumpkin but want to make banana bread.
Hate bananas. Got dislike of fruit from my Dad, but I have tried and liked more than he did.
Will try your Pumpkin (only) bread tho.
Hope you love this recipe, Donna!