Pumpkin Banana Bread is the answer when you just can’t decide between these two classic quick bread recipes. Super moist, full of cozy spices, and slathered with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, this loaf gives you the best of both worlds!
For another way to do pumpkin bread, try this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. Prefer banana bread more? You’ll love Snickerdoodle Banana Bread.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Banana Bread
When I want to bake on a busy weekday, I often choose quick bread recipes. Blueberry Banana Bread and Banana Pumpkin Bread are my favorites.
They are easy to make. They use pantry and fridge staples I already have. Plus, they are a sweet treat that feels light.
While I wish I could eat French Silk Brownies on a daily basis, my metabolism says that’s a hard no.
This pumpkin and banana bread mixes a sour cream banana bread recipe with pumpkin bread. The result is a moist, frosted loaf that tastes fantastic.
Here’s what makes this easy pumpkin banana bread a winner:
- The combination of pumpkin and banana makes for a bread that has a moist, tender crumb.
- This bread has the warm spices we love in fall treats. To make it even better, you can top it with cinnamon cream cheese frosting for extra cozy flavor.
- Like other quick bread recipes, this moist pumpkin banana bread is easy to make and hard to mess up. There’s a reason it’s called quick bread—anyone can make this!
- You can easily customize this pumpkin bread recipe to make it your own. I share some ideas below, but feel free to put your own spin on it.
Move over pumpkin pie, there’s a new sweet treat in town this fall!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe
The full ingredient list is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here are some highlights.
- Sugar – You’ll need white sugar and light brown sugar.
- Vegetable oil – Or another oil you like to use for baking, like canola oil.
- Mashed bananas – The riper and browner the bananas, the sweeter your pumpkin banana bread will taste. Use my guide on how to ripen bananas quickly!
- Spices – Cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg, or substitute an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice.
- Pumpkin – Be sure to use pumpkin puree instead of pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sweetness and spices.
- Cream cheese – Use a block of full-fat cream cheese, not the kind that comes in a tub.
Add some mini chocolate chips to the batter for a burst of chocolate flavor!
How to Make Pumpkin Banana Bread
Make the Batter:
- Beat the sugars, oil, and eggs, then beat in the vanilla extract and mashed, ripe bananas.
- Add the dry ingredients and pumpkin and mix until combined.
Bake:
- Divide the batter into prepared loaf pans. Use baking spray and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.
- Bake in a 350ºF oven for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool and Frost:
- Let the pumpkin banana bread cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the loaves to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Beat the frosting ingredients until well-combined and fluffy.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the bread.
Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to measure the bananas after mashing—don’t just count them. Bananas can come in different sizes. This way, your pumpkin banana bread will turn out well.
- Store this pumpkin banana bread bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- If you’d like to freeze the bread, wrap it in foil, then slide into a ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze the bread with or without frosting. You can also freeze individual slices of bread wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a freezer safe container.
- Feel free to add some mix-ins to this recipe. Fold chopped pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips into the batter.
- Another option is to sprinkle chopped nuts over the cream cheese frosting before it sets.
- Let the bread fully cool before you add the cream cheese frosting. If you frost the bread even while it’s just a touch warm, the frosting will deflate and may even run off the sides of the loaf.
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Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe
Pumpkin Banana Bread is the answer when you just can’t decide between these two classic quick bread recipes. Super moist, full of cozy spices, and slathered with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, this loaf gives you the best of both worlds!
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups mashed bananas, about 4 bananas
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 15 ounce pure pumpkin
For the Frosting
- 4 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch loaf pans generously with baking spray, and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, oil, and eggs until blended. Beat in vanilla extract and mashed bananas.
- Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and canned pumpkin. Mix just until blended.
- Divide batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Bake for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes in pan. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Add more/less milk for desired consistency. Spread over cooled bread.
Notes
- Be sure to choose 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (which is already flavored).
- Store bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freeze bread. Wrap in foil, then slide into a ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bread can be frozen with or without frosting.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 286kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 127mg, Potassium: 96mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 3413IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 1mg
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