Banana Pumpkin Bread With Chocolate Chips

Why This Banana Pumpkin Bread Is My Fall Tradition

Since first developing this recipe, I’ve been making it every fall. And usually more than once! We just can’t get enough.

• A healthier version of pumpkin bread. Instead of butter I use coconut oil. Instead of all purpose flour I use whole wheat flour and instead of sugar I use natural sweeteners like bananas and maple syrup.
• Super moist. I’ve found the best way to make baked goods moist is to use more wet ingredients in the batter. Mashed bananas and maple syrup for sweetness instead of granulated sugar makes a world of difference in the moistness of this banana pumpkin bread.
• Absolutely delicious. As if those cozy fall spices weren’t enough of a draw, this banana pumpkin bread is loaded with chocolate chips! They make this healthy recipe taste like a total treat.

What You’ll Need

You probably have a lot of the ingredients for this banana pumpkin bread recipe in your pantry already! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• White whole wheat flour – White whole wheat flour is milder and lighter than regular whole wheat flour, so it adds nutrition to this recipe without making it taste healthy. The best swap for this would be a mixture of half all-purpose flour and half regular whole wheat flour, or just use all-purpose flour.
• Baking soda
• Spices – Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves bring the cozy.
• Salt
• Bananas – The riper the bananas, the more sweetness they’ll add to the bread.
• Pumpkin puree – You’ll use about half a can. The other half can be frozen so you can make another loaf of banana pumpkin bread another day!
• Maple syrup – Be sure to use real maple syrup, not breakfast syrup or pancake syrup. I like to use a robust, dark maple syrup, which has more depth of flavor.
• Coconut oil – I love baking with coconut oil! It gives baked goods a moist, tender crumb.
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs – If you can remember, let these come to room temperature before starting the recipe. It’s always best to bake with room temperature eggs unless a recipe says otherwise.
• Chocolate chips – Use mini chocolate chips for more evenly distributed chocolate goodness. Regular size chocolate chips will give you bigger bites of chocolate, just not in every single bite like mini chocolate chips.

How to Make Banana Pumpkin Bread

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making your own loaf of banana pumpkin bread!

• Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the white whole wheat flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and eggs. 
• Finish the batter. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Bake. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Cool. Let the loaf rest for 10 minutes, then serve (or finish cooling and store).

Tips and Variations

Here are a few more notes on this banana pumpkin bread recipe.

• Don’t overmix the batter. This is the golden rule of making quick breads and muffins. If you mix too vigorously, the gluten in the flour will over-develop and make your bread tough, with less rise.
• Add some crunch. If you’d like, add 1/3 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter.
• Top it. Sprinkle Turbinado sugar over the top of the loaf before baking, or add some extra chocolate chips.

Serving Suggestions

This banana pumpkin bread is an all-day kind of recipe. It works for breakfast as a sweet balance to something savory like a Sausage Potato Frittata, as an afternoon snack, or you can serve it up for dessert with a dollop of Homemade Whipped Cream.

How to Store

• Room temperature: Store this banana pumpkin bread in an airtight container or storage bag for 2 to 3 days. 
• Refrigerator: If stored in the refrigerator, this bread will last up to 1 week. 
• Freezer: Once the bread is cooled, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or tin foil and place it in a freezer-safe storage bag. The banana pumpkin bread will last up to 3 months. To serve, remove the bread from the freezer and thaw at room temperature.

More Pumpkin Recipes to Try