This pumpkin banana bread combines your favorite fall flavors with the classic taste of banana bread!
It’s incredibly moist, gently spiced, and delightfully aromatic. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, and the combination of pumpkin and banana is irresistible.
Trust me, friends. It’s a must-try. Ripe bananas and pumpkin puree result in a tender crumb.
A touch of sour cream rounds out the flavors. Add chopped nuts, and enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Banana Bread
Versatile: This recipe is highly adaptable, allowing for easy customization. Add nuts for crunch, chocolate chips for extra sweetness, or other spices for depth. You can also decide when and where to serve it. It works for most meals!
Great for Gifting: Pumpkin banana bread features a beautiful color and an enticing aroma. It makes for an impressive homemade gift. It’s good for sharing with neighbors, friends, family, co-workers, and more! (Your kids’ teachers will definitely appreciate it!)
Moist & Tender: The combo of mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, and sour cream ensures a moist and tender crumb. It gives the bread a wonderful, dessert-like texture.
Ingredients
- Mashed Ripe Bananas: The secret to ultra-moist, naturally sweet bread. Be sure to get the ripest bananas you can find. Spotty, soft ones are best. Remember, they don’t have to look pretty to taste fantastic.
- Pumpkin Puree: For that unforgettable fall flavor and a velvety smooth texture. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling!
- All-Purpose Flour & Baking Soda: For structure and lift.
- Salt: Add just a pinch to enhance the flavors and balance the bananas’ sweetness.
- Spices: Mix in a bit of pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon to make the bread extra cozy and fall-friendly.
- Unsalted Butter: Though salted works fine in the recipe, unsalted is best. It allows you to control precisely how much salt you add.
- Light Brown Sugar: For extra sweetness, depth, moisture, and a subtle molasses flavor.
- Large Eggs: They hold the batter together and provides moisture and richness.
- Vanilla Extract: For a subtle sweetness and coziness.
- Sour Cream: The secret ingredient for any sweet bread recipe. It adds an absolute wallop of moisture. Plus, the slight tanginess pairs well with the pumpkin and bananas.
- Chopped Nuts: Pecans or walnuts are perfect for adding a bit of crunch to the otherwise soft bread. Be sure to toast them first for the best flavor.
How to Make Pumpkin Banana Bread
Unlike many baking recipes, pumpkin banana bread doesn’t require a lot of steps. In fact, you can whip it up in just five!
1. Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil, butter, or cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Start the batter. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (dry ingredients) in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Then, add the eggs, vanilla, bananas, pumpkin, and sour cream. Mix well.
3. Finish the batter. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Stop when everything is just combined. Don’t overmix. Gently fold in the nuts, if using.
4. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Use foil, if necessary, to prevent burning the top.
5. Cool. Allow the bread to cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pan. Then, let it finish cooling on a wire rack. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Banana Bread
When making any kind of banana bread, the most important thing you can do is select good bananas. You want them not just ripe but overripe! The browner they are, the better!
Here are a few more tips to consider:
- Room temperature is key. The butter and sour cream should also be at room temperature. This will make them easier to mix into the batter.
- Be accurate! Use proper measuring techniques for all ingredients, but especially the flour. Even slight deviations can throw off the balance and mess with the bread’s texture. Also, be sure not to overmix. Doing so can lead to tough bread.
- Try a tent trick. If you notice the top of the bread is browning too quickly, cover it with foil. Cover loosely and carefully!
- Cool completely. I’m the world’s worst at trying to cut into baked goods before they’re cool. They’re just so tempting when they’re fresh from the oven! But waiting until the bread is cool will definitely make it easier (and cleaner) to cut.
- Toss in fun add-ins. Consider adding chocolate chips, dried cranberries, shredded coconut, etc. Each addition will slightly change the taste and texture of the bread.
How to Store
If you have leftover pumpkin bread, here’s how to keep it fresh.
To Store: Place the bread in an air-tight container. Leave it at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To Freeze: Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap it again in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and serving.
To Reheat: This bread actually tastes pretty great even when it’s chilled. But if you want to reheat it, you can. Simply toast the slices in a toaster or nuke them in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.
Pumpkin Banana Bread
10
servings15
minutes1
hour261
This pumpkin banana bread is the perfect fall treat! It’s soft, moist, and full of so much delicious flavor.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 medium bananas)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla, mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, and sour cream until combined.
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Gently stir in the nuts, if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, tent with foil.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. After that, remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for maximum sweetness and flavor.
- Use foil if needed to prevent over-browning the top.
- Use room-temperature ingredients and measure accurately.
- Consider using mix-ins to alter the flavor.
