Keeping a loaf of this pumpkin banana bread on hand for cozy fall breakfasts or afternoon snacks is a must! It’s moist and tender, with just the right balance of ripe banana, pumpkin puree and warm pumpkin pie spice. Greek yogurt, ground flaxseed and a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour make this quick bread a little different from typical banana loaves. It takes about 10 minutes to mix together, and ready in about an hour.
What I enjoy about experimenting with healthier baking options is that often, the ingredients swaps don’t taste all that noticeable! So if you can make smart swaps that taste just as good, why not go for it?
You also have the option to add my very popular pumpkin spice glaze. It adds a bit of sweetness and only takes a few minutes to mix up. If you are trying to keep the pumpkin bread on the light side and keep calories in check, skip the glaze. But if this is a special treat, then give it a try and I guarantee you’ll love the addition!
Jump to:
- Why I Love This Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Banana Bread Ingredients
- How to Make Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Banana Bread Add-Ins and Variations
- How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Banana Bread FAQs
- More Delicious Pumpkin & Squash Recipes!
- Did you make this recipe?
- Healthy Banana Pumpkin Bread
Why I Love This Pumpkin Banana Bread
- More fiber and protein than traditional quick loaves – the addition of Greek yogurt, ground flax seed and whole wheat flour adds in both fiber and protein.
- Flavorful & moist, not dense and bland – While not sugar free, this is a lower sugar pumpkin bread. It has nutritious add-ins, but still has the traditional ingredients like yummy nutty butter and some all-purpose flour.
- Quick and easy – quick breads have that name for a reason, they’re quick to put together and almost fool-proof. Quick breads use baking soda and or powder as the leavening agent, rather than yeast, which is a bit more temperamental.
Pumpkin Banana Bread Ingredients
- Whole wheat and all purpose flour. Using a combination of the two adds a bit more fiber while also keeping the bread from becoming dense or dry.
- Ripe bananas – this pumpkin banana bread recipe uses 2 bananas versus 3, since we also add in pumpkin puree. The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be!
- Pumpkin puree – of course it’s easiest to use canned pumpkin, but you can also easily make homemade pumpkin puree in the Instant Pot or stovetop. Just make sure you don’t use pumpkin pie filling!
- Greek yogurt – this adds moisture and helps make the bread more tender. It also helps cut down a bit on the amount of butter used.
- Melted butter & eggs – Allow eggs to come to room temperature and let melted butter cool a bit before incorporating into the bread.
- Ground flax seed – this adds fiber, protein and a decent dose of Omega-3 fatty acids. It also gives the bread a slight nutty taste.
- Pumpkin pie spice and baking powder help flavor and leaven the bread.
How to Make Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the two different flours, baking powder and flax seed. Whisk to combine and set aside.
right – eggs, sugar, butter, pumpkin puree, bananas and extract stirred together
3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas, then add in the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt, melted butter, pumpkin spice and pumpkin spice extract (or vanilla extract). Stir till ingredients are completely mixed together.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir just to combine with a rubber spatula. Don’t overmix or else bread can get tough and chewy.
5. Grease a 9″x5″ loaf pan and pour in batter.
6. Bake for 55-65 minutes, till a toothpick comes out clean. Note that baking time will vary depending on the type of pan you are using. Glass pans sometimes take longer to bake than a metal pan, so keep that in mind. When bread is done, pull from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
This healthy pumpkin banana bread recipe is great because it has a perfect balance of pumpkin flavor and banana flavor. The natural sweetness of the bananas is nice too, as it makes this bread not overly sweet. It’s so good for breakfast with a couple of scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee. Ask me how I know ha!
Pumpkin Banana Bread Add-Ins and Variations
You can add in nuts like walnuts or pecans to give this yummy bread a bit of crunch. Of course pumpkin seeds would also be apropos and add a definite earthy vibe. Golden raisins or chocolate chips would make it a bit sweeter of course. Or if you want to get indulgent, counteract the healthiness of this bread by topping it with a pumpkin spice glaze ha!
How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Banana Bread
To keep your moist pumpkin banana bread fresh, make sure to store it on the countertop in an airtight container or cover it in plastic wrap. Do not store it in the fridge, as refrigerators circulate cold air which can dry out your yummy bread.
Banana bread will stay fresh on your counter for about 4 days. By days 5 and 6, the bread may begin to dry out a bit. I usually pop a slice in the microwave for a few seconds. Spread on some butter, and it tastes just as good. But once a week+ hits, you will likely start to see mold appear, which of course means it’s time to ditch it.
You will want to bake this yummy banana pumpkin recipe all Fall season long, and may even want to make a double batch each time you bake. You can gift one loaf or freeze it.
To freeze
Wrap your loaf in foil, place in a Ziploc or Stasher bag, and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to four months.
To thaw
Simply remove from the freezer and bag, set on the counter and leave out for a few hours.
Pumpkin Banana Bread FAQs
While I did not recipe test it with gluten-free flour, you can certainly swap out the regular flour for your trusted GF swap. I know there are so many great options out there that allow for a cup-for-cup swap, you should have no problem making this adjustment.
I initially recipe tested this bread using maple syrup instead of sugar, but found it made the bread too moist and did not want to bake all the way through. So stick with granulated sugar or coconut sugar. Or if you really want to limit the amount of added sugar, I have had success with Swerve sweetener, as seen in my Healthy Apple Crumble.
More Delicious Pumpkin & Squash Recipes!
I hope you love this recipe! If you are looking for more Fall cooking inspiration, take a peek at the seasonal recipes below. Happy baking!
- Pumpkin Bars with White Chocolate and Pecans
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls
- Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- Pumpkin Banana Muffins with Streusel Topping
- Pumpkin Overnight Oats
- Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Bacon and Burrata
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Did you make this recipe?
If you gave this recipe a try, I’d love your feedback! Any tips or recipe additions you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it! Let’s connect down in the comments below.
Healthy Banana Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan greased
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1 cup Whole wheat flour can also use white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Ground flax seed
- 2 Very ripe bananas smashed
- ⅔ cup Pumpkin puree
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 Large eggs
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 6 tablespoon Butter melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin spice extract or vanilla extract
- Recipe for Pumpkin Spice Glaze Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f
- Add both flours, the baking powder, salt and flax seed to a large mixing bowl and whisk together1 cup All purpose flour, 1 cup Whole wheat flour, 2 tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Salt, 2 tbsp Ground flax seed
- In a separate bowl add the bananas, pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt, pumpkin pie spice and extract. Stir together2 Very ripe bananas, ⅔ cup Pumpkin puree, ½ cup Sugar, 2 Large eggs, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 6 tbsp Butter, 1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp Pumpkin spice extract
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently stir together until well combined, but do not overmix. Pour into a greased 9"x5" loaf pan.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, removing from oven when toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. See recipe note about cooking times and doneness
megan says
Can you substitute almond flour or do you recommend just bobs GF flour?
Andrea Howe says
I would not recommend subbing almond flour. Just use gf cup for cup type flour instead. Hope that helps!
Natalie says
what are the flax seeds for in this recipe? what can be a substitute?
Andrea Howe says
the flax is just to add more fiber and protein as well as Omega 3’s. You can delete if you have an allergy or just don’t have them. Thanks!
Shirley A Barner says
Thank you!
A very interesting recipe.
Question:
Is possible to exempt from the salt, while preparing this recipe ❓
Andrea Howe says
yes, definitely okay to omit the salt