Spiced Pumpkin Banana Bread

Name: Spiced Pumpkin Banana Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 c. canned pumpkin; 2 brown or browning bananas (mashed); 1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour; 1 1/4 c. brown sugar; 1/2 c. vegetable oil or melted butter; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. vanilla; 2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; pinch of salt; 1 tsp. ground ginger; 1/2 c. each choc. chips or walnuts

A pumpkin banana bread with cozy spices that’s easy, vegan and can be made into muffins! Feel free to jazz it up with chocolate chips or walnuts.

Sliced pumpkin banana bread sits in a pan, on a cutting board.

This comforting spiced pumpkin banana bread is the perfect seasonal treat to use up those bananas that you’ve allowed to get juuuuuust a little bit (OK, maybe a lotta bit) past their prime.

The warmth of caramel-y brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and ginger feels like a warm hug in cooler seasons. The ginger is optional, but I think it’s totally worth the trip to the spice aisle.

This recipe requires 9 ingredients (plus salt), and I bet you’ve got most of them in your pantry. It stores well for a few days when wrapped in tinfoil… If it lasts that long?

Here’s a few reasons why I love this recipe.

A Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread

You can use butter in place of vegetable oil if you really want, but I’ve made it both ways and personally prefer the loaf with oil. Vegan butter or coconut oil would also work here. Really though, I think the vegetable oil method is the way to go.

Eggs? We don’t need ‘em! Bananas work triple-time to add flavor, emulsify (hold the ingredients together) and add a little bit of sweetness. Forget those cumbersome chia eggs.

Tips For This Super Moist Recipe

My easy pumpkin banana bread recipe is fluffy but super moist since we’re using mashed pumpkin and bananas.

I love me a moist pumpkin banana bread, but a word to the wise: Let this bread fully cool before cutting into it. When in doubt, give it a few extra minutes in the oven and cover with tinfoil to avoid over-browning.

Because it is made with so many wet ingredients, you want to give it a fair shake at firming up so it doesn’t get all mushy inside. I mean, mushy, undercooked baked goods are 11000% my jam, but you might not be into that, so keep those tips in mind.

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Mix it Up: Add chocolate chips or walnuts

Want to mix it up?

I love the crunch of a walnut in a baked good. And there is nothing like a warm piece of pumpkin banana bread speckled with melty chocolate chips. You can even get away with skimping on the sugar if you add chocolate chips, since they bring a little extra sweetness.

Make Banana Pumpkin Muffins

This batter makes great muffins, too, and I’ve got all the instructions and measurements mapped out for you in this recipe post for my vegan banana pumpkin muffin recipe with chocolate chips!

Vegan pumpkin muffins with chocolate chip and banana in a muffin tin.

Watch Me Make This Recipe

Can’t see the video below? Watch it here.

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How To Serve This Pumpkin Banana Bread

I love to serve this pumpkin banana bread as a breakfast treat or snack warmed up, on its own. You can add some butter, vegan butter or maple syrup if you want to dress it up.

Want to get really fancy? Make this recipe dessert-worthy by drizzling on a simple icing. If you’re looking for inspo, you can try the coffee-flavored icing in my recipe for pumpkin spice latte bread — a pumpkin loaf made with instant coffee. When you’re done making pumpkin banana bread, give this recipe a try!

Pumpkin bread with coffee icing drizzled on top and pumpkins.

Ingredients

Vegan pumpkin banana bread sits in a towel surrounded by overripe bananas, canned pumpkin, butter and brown sugar spilling onto the table.

For the loaf:

Canned pumpkin
Overripe bananas
All-purpose flour
Brown sugar
Vegetable oil or melted butter
Baking soda
Baking powder
Vanilla
Pumpkin pie spice
Salt

Optional:

Ginger
Chocolate chips
Walnuts

Make This Easy Pumpkin Banana Bread

Slices of easy vegan pumpkin banana bread are stacked on a plate, with a pumpkin banana loaf in the background.

While your oven is preheating, mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mash bananas in a smaller bowl, then add in and mix the rest of your wet ingredients.

Make a well in your dry ingredients, then add in your wet ingredients and mix gently. Don’t overmix! This could make your loaf come out a little extra gummy and dense. It still tastes fine, but the texture won’t be as fluffy.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and place a piece of tented tinfoil over the loaf about halfway through baking if the loaf is starting to turn more brown than you’d like.

Two pumpkin banana bread slices on a plate

When in doubt, give the loaf another 5-7 minutes in the oven. It’s common for banana bread to come out with an undercooked middle if it isn’t cooked quite long enough. I personally love baked goods that are a little mushy in the center, but it might not be your cup of tea.

On that same note, avoid opening the oven door and letting out all the hot air just to check on your loaf. Baked goods tend to continue cooking for a bit after they’re removed from the oven, so be sure to let this one cool as much as possible. Avoid the temptation of slicing into the loaf hot out of the oven. We want that center to set!