Pumpkin Banana Bread
63 comments »
We hop in the car and head to Utah tomorrow to hang with family for the Thanksgiving week, and we couldn’t be a penny more excited.
Holidays. Family. Vacation. Yum. I love them.
Whenever we head to Utah, I always have this wicked imagining. It’s not the sort of thing a grown woman should admit to, but I’m hardly grown up. I hear you don’t actually grow up in your heart ever, so I get a free pass. Or something like that.
Anyway. I totally imagine running into my ex-boyfriends. Do you do this? Tell me you do this? You don’t. Oh, stop. You know you do.
I think a good portion of my ex-boyfriends are still in Utah, which means that, as our mid-sized SUV crosses the state line into Zion, there’s always an inkling of a chance that I could happen upon one of those boys that broke my heart. Okay, I did the heart breaking sometimes. Ugh.
Remember when we were young and willing to tear people’s hearts in half?
As the years move on, I realize that such a run-in would be less and less desirable. When I was a twenty-something mama with a bubbly baby on my hip, the idea of dishing out a bit of regret was a pleasant idea.
Ohhh, hiiiii. Me and my long eyelashes? Me and this ca-ute baby? Yeah. Too dang bad you missed out.
But as I get older and eat more chocolate cake. And homemade rolls. And pumpkin bread.
Well.
Yeah.
It’d be more like…
Ohmygosh. Hi. No. I meant I totally can breath through this tightly tucked belt. And, yeah, duh. I do my hair not in a ponytail at least once a week. It’s a big accomplishment. Whatevs.
After which I’d quickly run to the baking goods aisle of whatever store we had the ex-boyfriend-run-in, grab a bag of brown sugar, then go home and make food for my people and thank my lucky stars that I no longer have to pretend that I’m ever clever and cute and well-coiffed in order to secure a kiss at the doorstep and a second date. Good gravy.
And anyway, my people know I’m always well-coiffed, despite the occasional ponytail. And by occasional, I mean oft.
And by well-coiffed, I mean showered by noon and wearing kinda matching socks and sparkly fingernails painted by a certain clever and cute daughter of mine.
Take that, ex-beau’s. Take that.
Pumpkin Banana Bread
This combination of pumpkin and banana bread is pure genius. The finished loaf ends up tasting a bit like caramel and cinnamon, with subtle undertones of autumn and friendship. A perfect loaf to share with neighbors, friends, and cute kids over breakfast. But not ex-boyfriends. They can eat crow. ;)
Ingredients:
For the bread:
2 very ripe bananas
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon saltFor the Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy creamDirections:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a large bread pan (or two medium-sized bread pans) with nonstick baking spray.
In a stand mixer, beat together the bananas, pumpkin puress, butter, brown sugar, and eggs until very smooth. Toss in the spice, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth again. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven, turn out onto a cooling rack, and allow to cool slightly before spooning icing on top.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and maple syrup. Add just enough milk or cream to make the icing slightly runny. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the bread. Allow icing to harden before slicing into bread and indulging!
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Anne on November 22, 2011 at 2:37 am
I also grew up in Utah (and have since moved away, this time to Africa), so when I go home to visit I always hope I run into someone I know (most of my friends are still there) so I can tell them how awesome my life is outside of Utah. Not that Utah is a bad place, but living away from it opened my eyes to how wonderful the rest of the world is too.
PS I just love your stories…and your recipes. This bread sounds amazing!
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:36 am
Eek! All the boys stay in Utah. Aren’t you GLAD to be an Africa girl now?! Amaze!
Katrina on November 22, 2011 at 5:44 am
This sounds lovely. I love trying new variations of banana bread. It’s something I always seem to need to bake!
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:35 am
I know! One stop at Costco for bananas and I know bread is just a week away! We NEVER make it through a whole bunch of those things!
Bev Weidner on November 22, 2011 at 6:27 am
I do the same thing! Except we actually DO see my X’es. And we get dinner. And drinks. And hang out. And everyone’s fine.
We’re a weird little group.
(oh and hey, bread? get in my face.)
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:34 am
I think I’m jealous. Or kooked out. But mostly jealous.
Friends with the ex-beaus? How smart are you to just diffuse the bomb? Cleverest!
Mary on November 22, 2011 at 8:55 am
This looks better than wonderful. I love to visit here. I never leave empty-handed and my family always gets a special treat. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:33 am
Hugs to you, Mary. How lovely sweet of you to say so!
Julia on November 22, 2011 at 9:08 am
Marvelous recipe. I was wondering how to make this very combination work. And now I don’t have to invest the time and kitchen flops to find out. I can just proceed to make and enjoy the results of your awesome skills…
And I can breathe a sigh of relief that I have zero chance of running into any ex-boyfriends…until after Christmas.
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:33 am
Oh, I love it when I’m on the same wavelength and other kitchen fanatics. We gotta stick together, you know.
Katie on November 22, 2011 at 10:17 am
I just adore your posts and your witty sense of humor! It seriously puts a smile on my face every.single.time!
And the run-in with the ex beau’s? HA!! Yeah, I’ve thought about it. We all do. But you’re so right — as the days pass by and those memories become umm…distant ones — the run-ins become less desirable and you care a whole lot less if they ever happen. ;) Oh wait, and then there’s Facebook where people try to find you. I guess that’s why I’ve got my little profile locked up! ;)
Man did I love little write up you did on this topic! I’m still laughing…
And I can’t wait to make this bread! It looks delicious!!
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:32 am
Ah hahahaaa! Facebook was MADE for girls looking for ex-boyfriends. I am certain that is the untold story of the whole thing. ;) XO!
Skye on November 22, 2011 at 10:45 am
I love pumpkin bread and banana bread. Genius!
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:32 am
It kinda is genius, but let’s pretend I’m humble and didn’t say that.
Michele Brown on November 22, 2011 at 1:14 pm
I love how honest your writing is ~ it ALWAYS makes me smile! Would love to see you while you’re in town… let me know if you’re available to meet and do lunch or dinner or a even a snack :) Love ya!
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:31 am
Oh, Aunt Michele. Stop. You’re making me blush.
I love you more.
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl on November 22, 2011 at 1:50 pm
This bread?!?! You are my new best friend–it looks amazing! And I have no doubt that your ex-beau’s *would* eat crow if they ran into you: you are splendid and funny, beautiful and good-hearted, and a phenomenal cook. I love, love, LOVE reading your posts!
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:31 am
I LURRRVE new best friends! Yay! Especially ones so complimentary as you. Be mine forever?
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:39 am
Um…they’d eat stuff. I have way too much food around the house to not share it amply. But, crow? Okay. Now you’re my new best friend. Cutie!
Leah on November 22, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Now I am really bummed about the two over-ripe bananas that I threw away yesterday (because two is not enough for bread).
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:30 am
Agh! TWO is TOTALLY enough for bread. I have four at my house. Will mail you the other two tomorrow. Yes?
STH on November 22, 2011 at 8:08 pm
This looks lovely, but I’m inundated with sweets at the moment (and ability to resist sweets isn’t my big talent). We made the mistake of having a party last Saturday and everybody brought dessert! I was a little tipsy and not at the top of my hostess game by the time they left, or I would have sent the leftovers home with them.
Anyway, have a lovely Thanksgiving and enjoy your trip!
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:29 am
A house full of desserts sounds like heaven and purgatory all at ones. Which makes me think…which one does a house full of desserts belong to? Because if it’s purgatory, I don’t know if I want to live in heaven without desserts. And if it’s heaven…I don’t know if I want to be chubby forever. Sigh. The great existential questions of life.
Melissa Darr on November 22, 2011 at 9:10 pm
This post gave me a smile! Thanks for brightening my day!
Brooke replied: — November 23rd, 2011 @ 1:28 am
Oh gracious! Thanks for brightening mine! XO!
Julia on December 5, 2011 at 5:23 pm
I finally managed to bake these today. The flavor was amazing, but as muffins they didn’t rise. Are you baking at a high altitude over there in Colorado?
Perhaps adding more baking powder and flour will help me here in the Great Plains. The first batch was super dense. I used too much banana maybe? Any ideas?
Ash on January 6, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Mine was also super dense :(. I know this can be amazing–just look at the pics! I used about a cup of banana with mine. Any tips? I came back to check and see if I had forgotten something/measured something incorrectly, but I don’t think I did…
Misty Blu on January 29, 2012 at 4:19 pm
I have made this recipe for years and I always add chocolate chips!!! Yummy!!!!
Ruth on February 4, 2012 at 10:27 am
These are delicious! I read the comments about denseness so added a bit more baking powder and whipped the butter, sugar, egg mixture until it was really fluffy. Then dumped in the dry ingredients and stirred just to mix. They didn’t rise much but they don’t feel dense. Nice mixture of flavours. Thanks for sharing!
Eileen on February 5, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Ugh, how do I not have enough brown sugar to make this? I have to RI. to the store, no worries about high altitude, living on the coast has the advantage, as a lower cost option (being one of the Feisty FruGals) I will be making my own pumpkin pie spice, and, I don’t do frosting. Usually I make these types of things in a bundt pan, sprayed with Pam and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
I can’t wait for the results, I think it will be a good dessert after the pulled pork I’m making for the Super Bowl.
Eileen on February 5, 2012 at 6:16 pm
And I just had to go see one of my Ex’s, PJ bottoms, hair in a bandana fashioned into a headband (not matching) and a Patriots fleece (lack of undergarment underneath, and I am not one that’s able to do that) yes, sexy I was, and I was still reminded of how much he misses me, repeatedly.
Ruth on February 6, 2012 at 12:19 pm
I have to take back my comment that I made on Feb 4 about denseness. Two days later and the dough has collapsed into a very dense over-moist dough. :-(
I think what happened to me is too watery pumpkin and frozen banana made for an incorrect balance of dry vs wet. Oh well. Live and learn.
Pingback: My Version of the pumpkin banana bread (cake?) | Feisty FruGals
Lacie Shipman on March 19, 2012 at 10:58 am
I made this last night (doubled the recipe). I have a quick question though. My bread turned out VERY dense and VERY moist. Not entirely what I was expecting I guess. It really didn’t have much of a bread consistency to it. Is there something I can change to get the desired consistency? Maybe 1 less banana or half the pumpkin?
Sheree' on April 6, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Funny story, ok.. maybe not a funny story but this is how I found and ended up making this bread. My dog wasnt feeling well, and in the past have given her a mixture of canned pumpkin & rice for a day or two. Well, I had left over pumpkin and wanted to do something different with it. My bread is in the oven now, and I just took out of the oven pumpkin cheese cake :) Cannot wait to try them both!
Vanessa on September 10, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Wow this looks amazing! I have about a billion frozen bananas in my freezer and was going to just make a HUGE batch. While the first batch is baking, can I put the premixed ingredients in the fridge until the loaf pans are freed up again? By the way, you are freakin hysterical… I just happened upon this recipe/blog and will never be the same! Thanks for brightening up the day! Cheers.
CJW on September 14, 2012 at 9:39 am
This did not rise AT ALL. Not as bread and not as muffins. I ended up with moist little hockey pucks that were kind of rubbery, to be honest. Such a waste of ingredients. And my morning.
CJW on September 14, 2012 at 9:43 am
I need to add that 2 TABLESPOONS of pumpkin pie spice seems like way too much. Similar recipes use 2 teaspoons. My little pucks just tasted like spice; I couldn’t taste banana or pumpkin, just the spices. The idea has promise, but probably also needs baking soda in order to rise.
Karen on September 19, 2012 at 7:35 pm
I also ended up with dense flat bread!!!
Morgan on September 23, 2012 at 11:11 am
Just made this! It’s amazing! My whole house smells like heaven and it’s the perfect fall treat :) Thank you so much for posting it!
JJarmywife on September 23, 2012 at 4:55 pm
I made this today but converted it to Gluten Free. I used exact recipe using Domata brand gluten free flour. It. Was. INCREDIBLE!!!!! Definately a keeper recipe!!! So ExCiTeD!
susan on September 23, 2012 at 7:04 pm
This was terrible. It was super dense and chewy and the outside was over done . It didn’t feel or taste like banana or pumpkin bread. I wish I would have read the comments before wasting my time and ingredients.
Margaret on September 30, 2012 at 11:48 pm
I made this today and it also turned out dense, but with the icing, everyone loved it. I think that more baking powder plus 1 tsp. of baking soda will help with the denseness. Also, I used WW Pastry flour and 1/4 c. of canola oil instead of the butter and it worked fine. I’ve read all the comments and I agree with most of them. Make sure you don’t let the mixed dough sit for more than a minute before putting it into the oven. Adding Choc chips would be great! And I used the 2 T. of pumpkin pie spice and I thought it was fine. The frosting made it!
Carolyn Drummond on October 10, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Hi Brooke,
I so know what you mean about kids not liking their veggies. How is that going for you now? This banana bread is amazing!!! Thanks
Darren from Texas on October 15, 2012 at 8:42 am
Thanks Brook. I was looking for a pumpkin banana bread recipe and yours looks perfect. Thank you for testing this and posting this. I am born and raised in New England and miss the seasons. Baking good Autumn foods is my way to keep in touch with my roots.
Christine on October 15, 2012 at 11:25 pm
I just made this but realized I was low on butter so added an extra small banana. I also wanted walnuts so I threw some of those in too. It’s really yummy. I think the extra banana made it get a bit dense but I like my bread hearty so no problem there. Great fall flavors, thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca on October 16, 2012 at 3:45 pm
tried this bread it did not come out at all
Michelle on October 26, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Just made some muffins out of this recipe and it turned out super tasty and moist. All I added was a teaspoon of baking soda. The only issue I had was the butter starting to burn when it melted to the bottom of the cupcake pan. :/ I think I baked them about 15 minutes.
Julie on October 28, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Read all the comments and am leary to try it, but here goes nothing. I have the ingredients…2 bananas dying on the counter….I will add baking soda as well. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Kate on November 4, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Ugh. Although I am thoroughly entertained by your witty narative, this bread (doubled the recipe to make muffins with chocolate chips) was a total flop, Brooke. Both treats came out so dense and were nearly inedible by day two. My quest to find a yummy banan/pumpkin baked good continues…
Hope others have better luck!
Lacie Hutchins on November 6, 2012 at 10:45 pm
I tried this twice now. It tastes GREAT! I am having the same problem others have had though! It is so dense! I baked it about 15 mins. more and it is still dense! This batch is worse than the first I tried. Again, great flavor, but not bread at all. It is so mosit! Thought it was because I was using old baking powder…nope! Got a whole new canister and threw the old out (which didn’t expire for another year!)….Disappointed!
Mols on November 8, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Mine took much longer than it said (about 90 min), and I added a bit of extra baking powder and the bread came out not too dense
Stephanie Miller on November 10, 2012 at 9:27 pm
I made these but added chocolate chips and crushed walnuts, yumm!!
Stephanie Miller on November 10, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Also, I used mini loaf pans and cooked them for about 35 or 40 mins and they were not too dense!
Pingback: Pumpkin Banana Bread « A Mrs. & A Mama
Alyssa on November 13, 2012 at 4:41 pm
This sounds amazing!! I’m making it tonight after dinner!
Speaking of run-ins with ex-beaus… I spent 3 days on an island with my ex’s parents and then 2 weeks with him living next door… NOT fun!!
MaryAnn on November 25, 2012 at 5:56 am
I made this also and it didn’t rise and was very dense and moist. I double checked the recipe thinking that I forgotten an ingredient. Should there be baking soda in this recipe to help it rise perhaps?
Elisa on December 5, 2012 at 8:53 am
Well, failed to read the comments before I scrambled to make this…I just took my mini loaves out of the oven after about 45 minutes. Looked done but when I went to cut it it was super super moist and pretty dense. Just popped them back in the oven and I’m hoping that a bit more time will help things. Bummed since I was going to give the two other loaves as gifts! Whats the solution, Brooke? Smelled so delicious, I hate having to waste….
Candice Collins on December 8, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Thanks so much! I’m so glad I found you! Just the recipe I was looking for… :)
I added some baking soda, and stirred in mini chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts. Had enough to make a nice size loaf, and 12 muffins. Mom will love these! Moist crumb and still delicate enough, almost like cake. Perfect. You’re an angel…I’ll be checking back often! Happy Holidays!
DianeG on December 13, 2012 at 10:41 am
I have to say, I was a tad disappointed when these came out of the oven. They were flat, dense, and so moist that my husband asked if I had cooked them all the way through. (I had.) However, I think we came up with the perfect solution: We cubed the bread, put it in bowls, and poured warm custard over it for an amazing bread pudding-type dessert. I will be keeping this recipe to make pumpkin-banana bread pudding again in the future!
Camilla Guest on December 14, 2012 at 1:12 am
I should have read the comments first before baking. This recipe is awful and wasted not only the ingredients but my time. I was going to give this as gifts but turned out a disaster as it did not rise and only the outer layer baked, the inside was still uncooked. The best recipe for pumpkin bread is still the one by Libby’s, everybody loves it.
chiquibon2 on January 7, 2013 at 11:08 am
This recipe is awful and I’m a good baker. Turned out too moist and unbaked despite longer baking time. Best recipes are by Libby’ s and Land O’ Lakes, tried and tested by professionals.
Bettina Sosnowski on April 20, 2013 at 8:57 pm
Worldwide, there is no sharp distinction between “bananas” and “plantains”. Especially in the Americas and Europe, “banana” usually refers to soft, sweet, dessert bananas, particularly those of the Cavendish group, which are the main exports from banana-growing countries. By contrast, Musa cultivars with firmer, starchier fruit are called “plantains”. In other regions, such as Southeast Asia, many more kinds of banana are grown and eaten, so the simple two-fold distinction is not useful and is not made in local languages..
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