The fact that I until now I didn’t bless your face with a recipe that merges pumpkin spice flavors with banana bread is straight blasphemy. My almond flour pumpkin bread (with a whole can of pumpkin) and bakery-style whole grain banana bread are some of my favorite desserts on my site! I dreamed of this bread being gorgeously moist, light, not cloyingly sweet, and healthier. Enter white whole wheat flour that packs a fiber punch while still being super soft. Brain-boosting almond buttah instead of tons of oil. Half the [unrefined] sugar of most loaves. Oh my! It’s kind of nuts how incredible the texture is. Beyond the perfect interior is a crackly, bakery-worthy crust enhanced with a smear of tangy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Spooky good.
The low down on ingredients
Banana: Overripe banana adds much needed flavor, moisture, and sweetness since pumpkin is very bland. Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin adds nutrient-dense moisture (hello, vitamin A) and gorgeous orange hue. White whole wheat flour: All the great nutrition of 100% whole grain flour but softer and lighter. Spelt flour would be another good option. King Arthur is my favorite trusty brand. I suspect 1:1 all purpose gluten free baking flour would also work. Pure maple syrup: My favorite natural sweetener for caramely notes. Not to be confused with Aunt Jemima. Almond butter: In lieu of a bunch of oil or butter, she adds plenty of healthy fats and contributes to the excellent texture. Use the drippy kind with just almonds as the ingredient. Eggs: Eggs bind the bread, improve the texture, and help it rise. For a vegan version, you can try flax eggs (or make my whole wheat vegan pumpkin muffins). Avocado: Just 2 tbsp neutral oil (you could also use melted coconut oil, butter, or olive oil) to achieve a supreme texture. Spices: Plenty of pumpkin pie spice and even more cinnamon for cozy, warm fall flavors. Salt: You’ll notice this recipe has more salt than most, but it really adds the perfect pick me up flavor to round out the neutral pumpkin. I tested this with only ½ tsp and it wasn’t enough. Vanilla: More depth of flavor! Raw sugar: Any kind of granulated sugar (I used organic cane sugar) works to create that amazing crunchy exterior. Cinnamon cream cheese frosting: Clearly I’m obsessed, so of course I had to create a spiced fall version for this gorg bread. I can’t get enough of the tangy creaminess atop the fluffy loaf.
Let’s make it!
My top tip
Taking care to spoon and level the flour (versus packing it into the bag which yields too much flour) and not over-mixing the batter are surefire ways to guarantee a puffy, pristine loaf. No dry, dense quick breads allowed!
Storage
Keep the cooled, unfrosted bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store cream cheese frosting in the fridge and frost slices as you eat them. This freezes well, too!
I hope you’re as obsessed with this fun fall recipe as I am!
I’d be super grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a quick star rating and review below. Comments mean the world to me and your honest feedback helps me to continue to share recipes you’ll crave! You’ll have about ¾ cup pumpkin puree leftover, the perfect amount to my make Pumpkin Overnight Oats, yippee!
