This soft pumpkin banana bread recipe combines sweet cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice for the ultimate Fall inspired healthy breakfast.
Healthy pumpkin banana bread
If you love pumpkin, you need to try this moist pumpkin banana bread.
The delicious recipe is packed with two whole cups of canned pumpkin and mashed banana, adding unbelievable moisture, softness, and flavor without all the extra fat.
I’ve already made the classic pumpkin recipe five times this year, with no plans to stop. It is absolutely wonderful for breakfast, snack, dessert, or any meal in between.
Plus, leftover banana bread slices freeze well too!
You may also like these Sweet Potato Brownies
Easy recipe tips and tricks
When adding the dry ingredients to the liquid, do not over mix.
Instead, stir the batter only until just evenly combined. This step guards against over activating the gluten.
It also prevents too many air bubbles from being introduced into the dough, which could cause tough, dense, and overly chewy final results.
My traditional banana bread recipes consistently come out perfectly after forty minutes in the oven. Due to climate, humidity, elevation, and uncalibrated oven temperature variations, yours may need to bake a little longer.
Do not open the oven even a crack until the cooking time is up. Every time a hot oven door is opened, the internal temperature can decrease by twenty degrees or more.
This pumpkin banana quick bread makes a great healthy snack or dessert. Turn it into a high protein breakfast by serving alongside Greek yogurt or Tofu Scramble.
Spread with almond butter, Coconut Butter, pumpkin butter, or cream cheese if desired. If you love chocolate, the loaf is fantastic with Homemade Nutella.
Finally, be sure to eat a copious amount of chocolate chips while baking, to make up for all of those calories you’re burning!
Leftover pumpkin? Make Applesauce Muffins
The best pumpkin banana bread ingredients
This quick loaf recipe is a great way to use up canned pumpkin and ripe bananas.
To make the bread, you need flour, ground cinnamon, powdered ginger, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sweetener of choice, milk of choice or water, pure vanilla extract, optional oil and large or mini chocolate chips, and of course the mashed banana and pumpkin puree.
You can roast your own pumpkin to make homemade pumpkin puree. Or go with the easy option of buying regular or organic canned pumpkin puree at the grocery store.
For vegan pumpkin banana bread, use your favorite dairy free and plant based milk of choice, such as almond milk or coconut milk. There are no eggs and no butter required.
Feel free to sprinkle in a handful of walnuts, pecans, shredded coconut, or raisins.
No pumpkin on hand? An equal amount of roasted mashed sweet potato or winter squash (such as butternut squash or kabocha) are great substitutions.
Types of flour that work include spelt, white, or oat flour. Some brands of all purpose gluten free flour also work. And there is a flourless option included below. I have not tried whole wheat flour and do not recommend coconut flour here because it will yield a very dry bread.
Grain free option: Almond Flour Banana Bread
Pumpkin banana quick bread recipe video
Watch the step by step recipe video, above
The recipe was inspired by my Healthy Banana Bread and Carrot Cake Banana Bread.
Adding extra cinnamon and pumpkin took it over the top in deliciousness.
This particular version is hands down the best banana bread recipe I’ve tried so far.
How to make pumpkin banana bread
Start by gathering all of the ingredients and greasing a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
I also like to add a piece of parchment paper to the bottom of the pan, because this helps the homemade pumpkin banana cake loaf pop out easily after it’s baked.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the mashed banana, pureed pumpkin, pure vanilla extract, and other liquid ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
The dry ingredients can be combined ahead of time in a separate bowl. Or turn it into a one bowl recipe by stirring the dry ingredients straight into the mixing bowl.
Stir all of the ingredients together, then smooth the banana bread batter into the prepared baking pan.
If desired, sprinkle chopped nuts, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, or chocolate chips on top of the pumpkin bread. Place the loaf pan on the center rack of the oven.
Bake the quick bread for forty five minutes or until the pumpkin banana loaf is golden in color and has domed on top. A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out mostly clean.
Remove the loaf pan from the oven, and let the recipe cool before going around the sides with a knife and popping the bread out of the pan.
If you are a true pumpkin lover, serve the quick bread with a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
How to store pumpkin banana bread
Once cooled, I like to loosely cover the recipe on the counter or in the refrigerator and let it sit in the pan overnight.
The taste and texture are even better the next day, because excess moisture evaporates, resulting in a light and fluffy pumpkin loaf.
This makes a fantastic holiday gift and can be wrapped up and given to friends and family who live locally. If you choose overnight shipping, it can also be shipped to friends who live further away.
And if you are tasked with bringing a dish to share at a brunch or a potluck party, the healthy pumpkin recipe is easy to transport and always a hit with guests.
For optimal freshness, it is best to refrigerate any leftovers after a day. In a covered container in the refrigerator, the loaf should stay good for up to four days.
You may also slice and freeze leftover banana bread for up to three months in an airtight covered container. Place a layer of parchment paper in between slices, so they do not stick together.
Thaw frozen pumpkin banana bread slices on the countertop, or in a microwave, stove top, or a warm oven before serving.
For a high protein option, try this Protein Banana Bread
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (spelt, white or oat, or try this Keto Pumpkin Bread)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or additional cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cup mashed banana
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey or agave
- 1/3 cup oil or water or milk of choice
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- To make pumpkin banana bread, preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Whisk all liquid ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour wet into dry and stir to form a batter. Smooth into the prepared pan. If desired, press some extra chocolate chips into the top. Bake on the center rack 45 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Let cool completely. Slice and enjoy! Taste and texture are even better the second day if you can wait. Leftovers can be sliced and frozen if desired.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
The Best Pumpkin Recipes
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Swirl Bread
From the Hello Breakfast Cookbook
Katie,
This recipe looks really good.
FYI – I don’t know if you know this, but I just discovered Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips are no longer dairy-free. I am sooooo bummed!
This was amazing! I didn’t read about leaving it in the fridge before serving and cooked it two hours before wanting to serve it and it was still delicious. I made it Saturday and it had all gone by Monday! Thank you
I used a full 15 oz can of pumpkin and one small banana — I’m in Reno (at 4,500 feet elevation), so I think the extra moisture and the elevation mean I should extend the bake time. Regardless, this turned out SO GOOD. I brought it to a Junior League meeting and all the ladies loved it!
Katie, is there anyway you can post the NUTRITION INFORMATION below each recipe, so we don’t have to click on it to open it up, in order to print it off ? Also could you please make it not in a box form, which takes up so much space when printing? I love, love your blog, post, recipes and the fact they have the weight watchers points. It really helps so much. I like to print them and keep them in my blinder. It would just save a lot of time, and ink if they were on the same page and nutrition information not taking up so much space. I know this seems like a little thing, but it does add up. I also follow a few others, but not as good as yours, that’s for sure, but they have it right below and in sentence form, which makes it easier when printing. That’s again!! Keep it up please, and i am always excited to see what you have for us each day.
She used to do nutrition facts on one page, but I think there were a lot of people recovering from eating disorders or disordered eating who asked for it not to be on the same page because numbers trigger them and they would rather not know the numbers.
What a tasty yet healthy pumpkin banana bread! Would love to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing it as well as its nutritional facts. Great blog!
I tried this recipe too and my daughter loved the taste. Next time I’ll use less bananas, no oil and whole flour. I mixed in 1 cup of my Genauva extra dark chocolate gems (cocoa 70%) and that blended perfectly.
The structure was very dense and chewy, I prefer it more like a brownie. Maybe, with some changes, next time I’ll get this structure.
I made a double batch of this because I had some extra pumpkin or squash leftover. My hubby bought something on clearance after Halloween but the store did not mark what it was. It turned out good, but I did not have a 9×5 pan so I used the 4 mini silicone pan. I used all four for the double batch and the loaves rose beautifully, but after following your directions to turn the oven off and not open the door and let it sit for 10 minutes I discovered they were not done. I ended up turning the oven back on for another 10 minutes and then let it sit for another 10. My question: Is this supposed to be a flat quick bread. Your photos make it look like the bread does not rise. Mine rose beautifully, a nice rounded mound.
Hmm, mine did seem to rise a little more than the photos too. Definitely a good surprise!
it can all depend on the flours you used… I made gluten free zucchini breads this summer and they barely rose because of the flour. I made the same zucchini bread recipe with regular all purpose flour and it rose a lot more and was even cooked fully through.
Wow! Okay this looks good, can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂
I made this today with Brown Rice Syrup instead of Maple Syrup/Agave because it’s what I had on hand. I also used fresh roasted pumpkin I had pureed instead of canned pumpkin. It was delicious! Super moist and great the next day too.
HI Katie – this sounds awesome – do you think it would work as muffins? 20 minutes bake 10 sit in oven?