Healthy Pumpkin Banana Bread

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One of my favorite recipes to make when Autumn comes around is my healthy pumpkin banana bread recipe. It has just the right flavor of pumpkin spice with a touch of banana. You won’t want to miss how moist this quick bread is!

Why You Should Make This

Pumpkin bread on its own has a fantastic Fall flavor, but when you add banana to it, you get a unique flavor profile. The banana gives the pumpkin bread an extra depth that you just can’t get from the pumpkin alone.

On top of that, a moist, flavorful quick bread is simple to make, so you can make it at the last minute. You’ll have a quick dessert in no time, that everyone is sure to love.

Lastly, I believe it’s important to use quality, healthy ingredients in your baking and so I use whole wheat flour in all of my quick bread. Whole wheat flour has some unique cooking properties, though. I will get to how to use it in the recipe a little later on.

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• All-Purpose Flour
• Ripe Bananas
• Pumpkin Puree
• Dark Brown Sugar
• Eggs
• Canola Oil
• Vanilla
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

How To Make Whole Wheat Pumpkin Banana Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease your 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. Mix your flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Mash your bananas in a medium-sized bowl. Then add in the pumpkin puree, oil, and brown sugar. Mix them well.
4. Next, add in your eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine, but don't overmix.
5. Last, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Again, do not over mix.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 60-70 minutes.
7. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool for about 5-10 minutes in the pan.
9. Then, carefully remove the bread from the pan.
10. You can either eat it hot, or allow it to cool slightly. I promise it is good either way.

Notes

This quick bread has an endless number of variations. Once you’ve made it for yourself, you could try experimenting by making it with chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and much more. I personally love it just as it is, but you can tailor it to your own tastes.

The most important thing is that you don’t overmix your batter or overbake your bread. Overbaking your bread can lead to a tough loaf of bread and that’s not at all ideal for quick bread.

Lastly, your bananas should be super ripe. The riper they are, the better the banana flavor!

Baking With Whole Wheat Flour

If you’ve had a bad experience with whole wheat flour or have just been hesitant to give it a try, I can help you through the process. Whole wheat flour can be a little tricky to work with, but I have the inside scoop.

It’s important that you use whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe if you can find it. Not all flours are equal and that’s because the proteins in the flour have an effect on the whole bake. So be sure you get the right type of flour. A whole wheat pastry flour has a lower amount of protein making the final quick bread nice and soft.

It’s important not to overmix or overbake your bread with whole wheat flour, as well. These can lead to a hard loaf of bread, which is not desired in a quick bread. Part of the problem is that when you pull your bread out of the oven, it’s still baking a little bit. To avoid overbaking, I pull the bread out a little bit early so that it won’t become tough after it has cooled down.

FAQ

Other Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Milkshake
• Baked Pumpkin donuts with maple glaze
• Pumpkin risotto with bacon
• Hearty Pumpkin and lentil soup
• Tender Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Brioche