Moist, sweet earthiness and holiday spices come together in a super easy pumpkin banana bread that comforts the soul. Get ready for the happy smiles on your loved ones’ faces as they slather it with nut butter or cream cheese, or both.
I have a confession to make: overripe bananas are my favorite ingredient to experiment with. Everything I put them in is sweet and moist. But when we were experimenting with a bunch of pumpkin recipes, it was a little harder to figure out what to do with the leftover puree.
So why not add it to the banana bread recipe that was already on the schedule? We stirred in my homemade pumpkin pie spice, lowered the fat content, and waited impatiently for it to come out of the oven. It was a hit! And the last time, browned butter replaced the plain melted butter for an even bigger hit.
What Pumpkin Puree Does for Banana Bread
Besides taking advantage of the fall abundance, pumpkin puree ups the holiday vibes, adds moisture for a tender crumb without adding extra fat, and gives traditional banana bread an incredible velvety touch. Plus, we can’t forget that gorgeous orange color that screams the holidays are here.
Chocolate chips and nuts go fantastic in any quick bread, so feel free to get creative with the add-ins. To take it from a delicious snack to a decadent dessert, drizzle it with my brown butter glaze.
How to Make Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Mash the bananas, stir in the pumpkin puree, sour cream, and eggs, then add the sugar and dry ingredients.
- Add the optional melted butter and stir it in. This is when you’d add chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Then pour it into a floured bread pan, and bake until done.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- Add a twist using brown butter instead of the usual melted butter.
- If you end up with too much batter for a large 9×5 loaf pan, divide it between two 8×4 loaf pans.
- Make muffins with the same batter, and reduce the baking time by 15-20 minutes.
- This recipe does well with gluten-free all-purpose flour if you need to make that change.
- Feel free to reduce the sugar by half for a healthier snack.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
We love making 2-3 loaves at a time. Then we let them cool completely and store them tightly wrapped. A loaf lasts 2-3 days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge, and 4 months or more in the freezer.
Have you ever toasted banana bread and slathered it with peanut butter? Yum!
What Pairs With Pumpkin Banana Bread
If we’re enjoying this treat for breakfast, we love toasting it and spreading it with cream cheese dip, honey butter, or orange curd. A steaming hot cup of coffee, pumpkin spice latte, or coquito is a satisfying drink to enjoy alongside it.
For a holiday snack, we whip up homemade Irish cream for the coffee or eggnog. Enjoy!
More Incredibly Comforting Quick Bread Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in October 2021 and has been updated with additional tips, gorgeous photos, and a video.