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Easy Pumpkin Banana Bread with Pecans

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This easy pumpkin banana bread with pecans is moist, flavorful, and perfectly spiced. It’s simple enough for a Tuesday night, special enough for a holiday brunch, and forgiving enough for beginner bakers.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (can reduce to ¾ cup if bananas are very ripe)
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling)
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans, plus extra for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. In a medium bowl, mash ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt until well combined.
  4. In the same bowl used for bananas, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
  5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined—do not overmix. A few lumps are fine.
  6. Gently fold in chopped pecans, reserving about 2 tablespoons for topping. Fold just until distributed.
  7. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved pecans on top, pressing in slightly.
  8. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil at 40 minutes.
  9. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then lift out using parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing (about 1 hour).

Notes

Room temperature ingredients matter—let eggs and other cold ingredients sit out for 15-20 minutes. Don’t overmix the batter; mix until flour just disappears. Check baking soda freshness by testing with vinegar. Toast pecans at 350°F for 5-7 minutes for deeper flavor. Let bread cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. Bread tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin banana bread, easy banana bread, pumpkin bread with pecans, fall baking, quick bread, moist banana bread

Find it online: https://bitesienna.com/easy-pumpkin-banana-bread-with-pecans/