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
if i want toi add egg how many should i add? thanks 🙂
Ok this recipe is AMAZING! I used coconut sugar as my sweetener and applesauce in place of oil and it is absolutely delicious and healthy! My kids love it too! Thank you!
This was AMAZING! Thank you for the great recipe. I’ve followed your blog for years but somehow forgot about it for a short period of time. I’m so glad I remembered you recently and also that your recipes are vegan. My son can’t eat eggs and it’s so hard to find healthy baked goods. I feel like a just rediscovered a treasure. I will be checking back often!
I’ve made this 3 times in two weeks! I’m avoiding sugar so I just leave it out completely. I’ve also been using oats so it’s very hearty. It makes an amazing breakfast slathered with nut butter! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Ashley, I’d also like to leave the sugar out. Did you add anything else instead?
Hello 🙂
I love this recipe! Just made it and everyone loved it.
But I have a question: Do the Nutrition Facts refer to the version made with oil or with milk?
Thank your so much!
Greetings from Germany
I tried this recipe tonight since I had an open can of pumpkin and a couple over ripe bananas. Since I’m leaving for vacation tomorrow I needed something easy to combine the 2 things I needed to use. I was drawn to this recipe for that reason as well as it being quick, easy, healthier, and vegan. Conveniently, I had some oat flour I had made in a good processor that needed to be used also. Probably not as fine ground as store bought but it worked. I didn’t have quite enough banana and needed another 1/2 cup so I put in applesauce then decided I didn’t need milk. So then I figured I needed to make up for the 1/2 of something I was missing so I put in another half cup of pumpkin. It was pretty great and I will surely make it again! I feel full from one small piece and Not really guilty at all. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this recipe this morning for the first–and definitely not last–time. I discovered my baking soda was long expired–what?! I’m clearly not baking enough–so I added extra baking powder. I used all sorghum flour, and I sprinkled a bit of flaked coconut on top. I have already had 3 slices. It’s dense, almost pudding like, holds together well and doesn’t crumble apart. It’s a very satisfying bread that’s not overly sweet. I haven’t even gotten it to the refrigerator yet, but look forward to seeing what it’s like tomorrow (if it lasts that long).
This bread takes way longer to cook all the way. 40 minutes in the oven is NOT enough.
I had an opened can of pumpkin puree and black bananas on my counter. I searched google and found your website!
Love, love, love this! It is delish and I’m so happy I’ll have this nice breakfast this week! My 6 yo loves it too!
And I agree that 40 minutes is not enough. Closer to one hour. 🙂
I love this recipe. Making it for the 2nd time in two weeks – and I never do that. So easy and so yummy. One caveat to folks out there – if you use a mix of wild rices, it needs to be cooked a bit longer. Not sure how much longer actually because I needed to serve it so finished off the rice portion in the microwave. Going to do white rice like the recipe calls for this time.