Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe: How to Make Banana Bread

Pumpkin banana bread is a quick bread that combines mashed banana, pumpkin purée, flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Quick bread is a bread that uses a chemical leavening agent, such as baking powder or baking soda, rather than yeast to rise. Adding pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spices, including cinnamon and nutmeg, makes this loaf-pan bread a perfect fall treat. You can customize pumpkin banana bread with mix-ins like chocolate chips and cranberries.

Consider baking the following variations of pumpkin banana bread:

1. 1. Cheesecake pumpkin banana bread: Fold cream cheese into the batter to make cheesecake pumpkin banana bread. Popular toppings for this sweet quick bread include sweeteners like maple syrup and cinnamon sugar.
2. 2. Chocolate pumpkin banana bread: Add chocolate chips for extra sweetness and flavor. Other popular mix-ins include pecans, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and dried cranberries.
3. 3. Gluten-free pumpkin banana bread: For gluten-free diets, almond flour or other gluten-free flour can also work without sacrificing flavor.
4. 4. Vegan pumpkin banana bread: Vegan pumpkin banana bread is a type of banana quick bread made without animal products like eggs or dairy. Instead, this sweet treat achieves a rich, moist crumb from ingredients like vegetable and coconut oil, vegan butter, and non-dairy milk, like almond, soy, or coconut.

Bakers can customize pumpkin banana bread with ingredient substitutions and mix-ins. Consider these tips when preparing your pumpkin banana bread:

1. 1. Add more bananas. Bakers can add more mashed bananas to the batter to moisten the bread.
2. 2. Freeze to enjoy later. Quick breads can last about five days in the fridge, but if you plan to eat your baked good later than that, cover it in foil, place it in an airtight container, and freeze it for up to three months. To thaw, unwrap it and set it out on the counter and wait until it reaches room temperature.
3. 3. Make mini loaves. Pour the pumpkin banana bread batter into mini loaf pans or muffin tins to make individual treats.
4. 4. Stir your flour mixture just enough. Over-whisking the wet and dry ingredients can yield dense bread. Stir enough so you have no dry spots in your batter, but do not overdo it.
5. 5. Use a toothpick to see if your bread has fully cooked. After taking your pumpkin banana bread out of the oven, insert a toothpick into the middle and pull it out. The fork should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
6. 6. Use overripe bananas. The ideal bananas for any kind of banana loaf have brown spots and feel soft to the touch. If using frozen bananas, let them thaw completely before mashing.