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This moist pumpkin banana bread is the BEST!! It’s filled with pumpkin spice and bananas for a delicious, easy fall recipe.

I love all pumpkin recipes! Pumpkin BreadPumpkin Muffin Top, and Pumpkin Bubble Bread help me get my fill, but this pumpkin banana bread is also a must. It is soft, tender & super flavorful!!

Sliced pumpkin banana bread topped with nuts on wax paper.
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The Best of Both Worlds!

I don’t know about you, but when fall rolls around, I start to crave everything pumpkin. It’s also the best time to start baking because temperatures have cooled down and I’m always excited to turn my oven back on.

This fall, I kicked off the pumpkin baking with this pumpkin banana breadโ€”it combines the best of both worlds! It’s the most flavorful Banana Bread, and the moistest & most tender Pumpkin Bread recipe around.

The banana isn’t too potent in this recipe, but it makes this bread very moist and helps enhance the delicious pumpkin spice flavor that’s perfect for fall.

Ingredients prepped and measured out in individual serving containers.

A Simple Quick Bread

Pumpkin and banana bread is simple and so delicious!

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

DRY INGREDIENTS. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder & salt.

WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl whisk together the oil, sugars, eggs & vanilla extract until no lumps remain.

COMBINE. Stir in the mashed bananas & 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Carefully stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Then stir in the chopped nuts.

BAKE. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top feels firm to the touch. The loaf shouldn’t wobble if you nudge the pan.

Baking alternatives

Banana bread with pumpkin can be made into mini loaves or muffins!

Mini loaves. Make 2-3 mini loaves. (5 ยพ x 3 x 2-in. pan) Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Muffins. Bake batter into muffins. Bake 18-20 minutes.

French Toast. Another delicious way to eat this bread is to make it into French Toast. Since this bread is quite moist you will want to let it dry out before making the delicious breakfast dish. 

Adding dry ingredients to wet ingredients to a glass dish.

Variations

Want to change it up? Here are a few suggestions to enhance your pumpkin spice banana bread.

  • Use Pumpkin Pie Spice or a substitute.
  • Add ยฝ cup of chopped walnuts for a little texture.
  • Add ยฝ cup mini chocolate chips.
  • Toss in dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots.
Adding nuts to the bread batter in a glass bowl.

Ingredient Info

Make the best pumpkin banana bread recipe with these simple ingredient tips and methods.

Room temperature eggs. Eggs at room temperature will mix better with the other ingredients. To quickly bring them to room temperature, place them into a bowl of warm water. 

Ripen bananas quickly. This method works for any banana that no longer has any green in the peel. Preheat the oven to 300ยฐF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out as many bananas as you wish. Bake for 30-40 minutes and until the peel is completely black and soft.

Allow them to cool before slicing open the peels and mashing the ripened bananas to be used in the recipe. The bananas should be older and soft with a lot of brown spots. 

Pumpkin puree. A can of pumpkin is typically 15 oz and contains slightly under 2 cups. This recipe only requires 1 cup of puree. Place the leftover pumpkin puree into a freezer Ziploc and keep it in the freezer for 4-6 months. Thaw and use it in other recipes. 

Recipe tips

These tips will ensure the best texture and cook on your easy pumpkin banana bread.

Muffin method. Quick bread utilizes the muffin method; the dry ingredients are mixed together before being added to the wet ingredients. This helps ensure all the ingredients are evenly mixed throughout preventing overmixing.

Prevent over-browning. Quick bread recipes like this one need to bake for a long time. To prevent the sides of the loaf from getting too brown, I recommend using a light-colored loaf pan.

If you notice that the top of the bread is getting too brown but the middle isn’t baked through yet, tent a piece of aluminum foil and place it over top of the loaf while it’s still baking.

Baked pumpkin bread topped with nuts and served on wax paper.

Storing + Freezing

STORE at room temperature for a day or two.

FREEZE. Wrap banana pumpkin bread and freeze it for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to have more, let it thaw and heat it up. Top it off with some butter or Cinnamon Butter and you’re set!!

SERVE. This bread is absolutely delicious on its own. Eat it warm, at room temperature, or even chilled from the freezer. Enhance the flavor by spreading a warm slice with butter, adding a layer of peanut butter, or drizzling it with honey. You can toast it as well.

Stacked slices of pumpkin banana bread on a white plate.

Recipe FAQ

Why did my pumpkin banana bread split on the top?

Having a split top is very common when baking quick bread. It happens when the crust forms before the middle of the bread is done expanding.

Why is my pumpkin banana bread soggy?

One of the common reasons for wet bread is that the bread was not baked for long enough. Overfilling your bread pan or using a pan that is too small can result in underbaked bread. Another reason is that too much pumpkin puree or mashed bananas were added.

What size is a medium banana used in a banana bread recipe?

A medium-sized banana is about 4 ounces and measures between 7-8 inches. Be sure that the bananas are very ripe when using them in this pumpkin banana bread recipe.

For More Pumpkin Breads, Try:

4.99 from 361 votes

Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
This moist pumpkin banana bread is the BEST!! It's filled with pumpkin spice and bananas for a delicious, easy fall recipe.
Servings: 10 slices
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 medium bananas mashed
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder & salt.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the oil, sugars, eggs & vanilla extract until no lumps remain.
  • Stir in the mashed bananas & pumpkin puree.
  • Carefully stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Then stir in the chopped nuts.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top feels firm to the touch. The loafย shouldn't wobble if you nudge the pan.

Video

Notes

Pumpkin pie spice.ย  If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice use 1ยฝ teaspoons cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger & ยผ teaspoon nutmeg.
Loaf pan. Make sure to use a 9×5-inch loaf pan. If you use an 8×4-inch loaf pan the batter may overflow.ย 
STORE in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Loaf and be frozen for up to 2 months and thawed in the fridge.ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 356kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 187mg, Potassium: 236mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 3880IU, Vitamin C: 3.1mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 2.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About Fiona

My name's Fiona and I love to bake and blog. I share homemade, from scratch, classic recipes for desserts & sweet treats including cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more.

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4.99 from 361 votes (274 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




164 Comments

  1. Nikki Carson says:

    5 stars
    This is my new favorite banana bread recipe! I made it exactly as written. I’ve been disappointed in the past with lackluster banana breads. I’d quit making it because I just didn’t like any of the recipes I’d tried. I did have to bake it a few minutes longer than the recipe said, but I know my oven is off. I have to cook everything a bit longer. This one is the perfect flavor and texture. I was so proud of the loaf I made that I cut pieces off to share with several family members. Next time I’ll make several loaves.

  2. Sabrina says:

    5 stars
    I donโ€™t normally leave a rating or comment on recipes I find online, but this one is that good!

    I did cut down the sugar to just over 1/2cup total (personal preference) and it still turned out great!

    I baked in 4 mini loaf pans for easy gifting – perfect amount of batter.

  3. Mamallama says:

    4 stars
    Itโ€™s almost perfect! I feel like a half cup of either sugar more would be the perfect sweetness. The texture was great & I loved how moist they were! Will use again!

  4. Ana says:

    Hi! My mom is allergic to eggs and I was wondering if you knew any substitutes to the eggs in your recipe! Loved it when I made it with eggs tho!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You could try using applesauce as an egg substitute!

  5. Lilia Persky says:

    Can I use honey or maple syrup or agave insteaf of sugar for the pimpkin banana bread?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You can definitely try! I have only made it with sugar, so I’m not totally sure how it would turn out. You’ll have to let us know if you use a substitute and how it turns out.

  6. Sandra Sanchez says:

    If I want to make muffins, how long should i bake them for?

  7. Ellie says:

    Made this recipe but only had one larger banana and I subbed applesauce for the vegetable oil, adding maybe 1/4 cup extra applesauce to account for the missing banana. I also only used 1/3c of each sugar instead of the listed 1/2 cup. Made a full loaf and two muffins (added chocolate chips to these). Turned out delicious!

  8. Inge says:

    5 stars
    Wish you used metric measurements. not knowing how you measure your flour, the actual amount can vary quite a bit. I made this 2 years ago and it turned out great, but I didn’t write down if I used 240g of flour or more. Crossing my fingers it works out.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      There are metric converters you could try using online. Hopefully that can help. Hope the recipe turns out for you!!

    2. Lilia Persky says:

      Can I use honey or maple syrup or agave insteaf of sugar for the pimpkin banana bread?

  9. Christine Olbrich says:

    Perfect recipe, as all of your recipes I’ve made! The only changes I made, I doubled the spices on purpose, I accidentally added 2 cups of pumpkin, the bread turned out fine, it’s tastes like eating pumpkin pie as a slice of bread.

  10. Monique alonzo says:

    Nice texture lack of flavor