Pumpkin Banana Bread

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Enjoy two quick bread favorites in one with this pumpkin banana bread. Bananas and pumpkin puree combine in a tender, warmly-spiced loaf dotted with chocolate chips throughout. Everything comes together in two bowls!

A loaf of pumpkin banana bread half cut into slices.

When you already have a go-to banana bread recipe (honey banana bread) and a go-to pumpkin bread recipe (naturally-sweetened pumpkin bread), it's only a matter of time before they combine.

Here's pumpkin banana bread.

With a few tweaks (most notably a bump in sweetness with brown sugar and chocolate), you get the best of both worlds in a seasonally-spiced and warmly-flavored loaf.

Why This Recipe Works

The combination of mashed banana, pumpkin puree, oil, AND maple syrup all ensures this pumpkin banana bread remains moist and tender until the last slice is eaten.
Keeping a few simple tips in mind, you can reliably achieve a nicely-rounded quick bread loaf without worry of it sinking.
Chocolate chips! Chocolate and banana is a beautiful pairing, but so is the less-popular pumpkin and chocolate (hello, pumpkin brownies and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies). Chocolate ties this bread together to be an ultra cozy fall treat.

Recipe Ingredients

Bananas: Very overripe bananas with lots of brown spotting (or are brown entirely) are perfect for baking recipes like this pumpkin banana bread. This is because the banana starches convert to sugar as they ripen, leading to more sweetness. Two large bananas will yield approximately one cup of mashed banana.
Pumpkin: Since we're adding sweeteners, this recipe uses 100% pure pumpkin puree, which is not sweet at all. Take care if buying a can from the store as they look awfully similar to canned pumpkin pie mix (and are next to one another on the shelf), which is already sweetened and seasoned. That would be overkill for this recipe.
Maple syrup: I *love* maple flavor and pumpkin together so I always go with pure maple syrup to sweeten quick breads. An equal amount of honey will also work if you prefer.
Oil: Your preferred neutral-flavored cooking oil will likely work here, including canola, vegetable, corn, or melted coconut oil/butter (measuring it out after melting).
Pumpkin pie spice: I've listed out the individual spices in the recipe card below, but do feel free to substitute in pre-made pumpkin pie spice for the amounts listed if that's more convenient.
Chocolate: Semisweet or dark chocolate work well with these flavors, though any kind you like is fine. Chips work or you can chop up your own chocolate for chunks.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Add the bananas to a medium mixing bowl.
Mash the bananas well, either by hand using a whisk or with an electric mixer. Some lumps will likely remain and that's okay. Aim for there to be one cup of mashed banana.

Overripe bananas cut into pieces in a mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin puree, eggs, canola oil (or baking oil of your choice), maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the mashed banana.
Whisk well to combine all of the ingredients until they are smooth (or as smooth as possible given the mashed banana). Doing this by hand is just fine.

All wet ingredients added to a bowl before mixing.

All wet ingredients whisked together smoothly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves evenly. Pour the combined dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
With a spatula or spoon, stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix as this can cause the gluten in the flour to overdevelop, leading to tough and not tender baked goods.

Dry ingredients added to the bowl of wet ingredients.

Batter stirred together with a spatula in a bowl.

Stir chocolate chips into the batter.
Pour out the batter into the prepared 9" x 5" loaf pan and level off the top so it's in an even layer. Optional: Press additional chocolate chips into the top surface for a "prettier" presentation.

Chocolate chips stirred into the batter in a mixing bowl.

Batter poured into a loaf pan before baking.

Bake at 325°F/163°C for 60-75 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the pumpkin banana bread to cool in its loaf pan for 10 minutes, then carefully loosen the sides and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

A loaf of pumpkin banana bread in a pan on a trivet.

Recipe Tips

If using chocolate chips, considering very roughly chopping them before folding them into the batter. Getting them into some smaller pieces will help ensure they don't sink to the bottom of a baked good while it bakes. <-- This is a tip I always do now.
To help your pumpkin banana bread rise well, grease the bottom and only the first inch or two up from the bottom of the sides. This allows those areas to release cleanly while the batter can get a better grip on the sides of the pan while it bakes and rise tall.
To prevent a sunken quick bread center, don't open the oven door during at least the first two-thirds of the bake time, ideally longer. Cool air entering the oven will disrupt the rising process and can cause the center to lag behind. Use the oven light to check on its progress (or peek through the door window with a flashlight if your oven light is out like mine is!).
This recipe was made and tested in a 9" x 5" loaf pan. If using an 8" x 4" loaf pan, keep an eye on it as it bakes and increase the bake time as needed, as a thicker loaf may require extra time.

A whole loaf of bread on a wire cooling rack.

Recipe FAQs

Why does my pumpkin bread/banana bread sink in the middle?

There are many factors that play into a sunken quick bread. Be sure you're measuring your liquid ingredients correctly (too much can lead to a heavy batter that can't rise), only greasing the bottom inch or two of your loaf pan, not opening the oven door while it bakes, and allowing it sufficient time to cook completely. Also make sure that your baking powder and/or baking soda aren't expired!

How to store pumpkin banana bread?

Let this bread cool completely before cutting into slices and storing at room temperature. If it's still warm when it's stored, the heat will cause condensation to build up in its package, leading to mushiness. Line an air-tight container with a layer of paper towels, place the quick bread on top, then lay another layer of paper towels pressed against the top surface. These will absorb excess moisture that develops (change out as needed).

How to freeze pumpkin banana bread?

Let it cool fully, then wrap the loaf snugly and completely in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped bread in an air-tight bag or container, pressing out all the excess air if using a bag. Freeze for up to several months for optimum freshness.

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!

This recipe and blog post text has been updated in August 2021 from its initial publish date in November 2014.

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