This moist, warmly spiced one-bowl pumpkin banana bread is an excellent fall breakfast or snack and the perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee! The entire family will love this easy-to-make quick bread.
Blending pumpkin with the delicious flavors of banana bread is a second-to-none combination if you ask me and I'm sure this recipe will back up my claim. My toddler son and husband are obsessed with this recipe. We go through a loaf in our home in a couple of days, so you may want to double up on this one!
For more delicious fall recipes, check out our sweet potato cornbread with maple butter and apple brown sugar syrup next!
Table of Contents
Important Ingredient Notes
The detailed ingredient list with measurements is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Oil. Oil helps this loaf bake up extra moist. Vegetable or canola oil works best.
- Brown sugar. For rich, caramel-like sweetness and moisture. Light or dark work fine.
- Pumpkin. Canned pumpkin adds a cozy flavor to this quick bread. Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Love pumpkin? Check out our pumpkin bread pudding with salted caramel next!
- Overripe bananas. You need overripe bananas for this recipe. They should have plenty of brown spots but should not be mushy. Banana lovers, don't miss our old-fashioned banana pudding recipe!
- Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract (not vanilla flavoring!) adds depth and flavor to this recipe.
- Flour. All-purpose flour works best for this recipe and gives you a tender, moist loaf.
- Spices. Warm spices take this pumpkin banana bread over the top. My favorites for this recipe are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.
Variations and Substitutions
- Not a fan of pumpkin? Try mashed sweet potato or butternut squash. Try out spiced sweet potato bread with pecans next!
- Add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit for extra flavor and texture.
- Add a swirl of cream cheese filling to make this quick bread extra fancy!
- Substitute pumpkin pie or apple pie spice for the individual spices.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, spray with baking spray, and set aside. Whisk the oil, sugars, and eggs in a medium mixing bowl until well combined.
Step 2. Add the pumpkin, mashed banana, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Step 3. Add the flour, spices, baking soda, and baking powder and mix with a silicone spatula until no more dry flour is visible.
Step 4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth is out into an even layer. Bake the loaf for 50 to 60 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Recipe FAQs
Overripe bananas are much sweeter and softer than ripe bananas and are easier to bake with. They also give baked goods more of a banana flavor. Your bananas should be soft but not mushy with plenty of brown spots.
The flesh should be yellow and not brown or black.
Yes! Be sure to buy pumpkins labeled "pie pumpkins" and roast them to make your own pumpkin puree.
The edges and top should be golden brown and the loaf should not jiggle in the pan when gently wiggled. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with no wet batter.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
This one bowl pumpkin banana bread is an excellent make-ahead recipe. Make this quick bread up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.
Leftover pumpkin banana bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You may also freeze leftovers by wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Measure your flour properly. Measure flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife or using a kitchen scale. Never dip your measuring cup into the container of flour. This packs the cup and adds too much flour to the batter, giving you a dry, dense loaf.
- Don't overmix the batter. For a tender and moist loaf, mix the ingredients just until they are all combined. Overmixing causes more gluten formation and results in a tough and dense bread.
- Mash your bananas. You can mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth or use a handheld mixer to puree the bananas.
- Loaf pan color matters. A darker-colored metal loaf pan absorbs more heat and may result in a darker and thicker crust. Use a light-colored metal loaf pan for a lighter more tender crust.
More Pumpkin Recipes You Will Love!
If you tried this One Bowl Pumpkin Banana Bread recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
One Bowl Pumpkin Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil - or canola oil
- ½ cup light brown sugar - or dark brown
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin - 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 overripe bananas - mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides to use as handles. Set the pan aside.
- Whisk the oil, sugars, and eggs in a medium mixing bowl until well-combined.
- Add the pumpkin, mashed banana, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom and mix with a silicone spatula until no more dry flour is visible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth it out into an even layer, and bake for 55 to 65 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no wet batter.
- Allow the loaf to cool completely in the pan then use the parchment handles to remove it from the pan for slicing.
Notes
- Measure flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife or by using a kitchen scale. Never dip your measuring cup into the container of flour. Doing so packs the cup and adds too much flour to the batter, giving you a dry, dense loaf.
- For a tender and moist loaf, mix the ingredients just until they are all combined. Overmixing causes more gluten formation and results in a tough and dense bread.
- Leftover pumpkin banana bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You may also freeze leftovers by wrapping them in plastic wrap then storing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Nicole
Love how easy this is to make! It turned out so moist and delicious.