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Cozy Pumpkin Banana Bread with Walnuts – Easy Fall Recipe

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This cozy pumpkin banana bread combines the sweetness of ripe bananas with the dense moisture of pumpkin, all topped with crunchy toasted walnuts. It’s an easy, forgiving recipe that fills your kitchen with the warm spices of fall and delivers a perfectly tender, flavorful loaf every time.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 and ¾ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup or 240g)
  • 1 cup (120g) walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides. Spray exposed ends with nonstick spray.
  2. Toast the walnuts: Spread on a baking sheet and toast in the preheating oven for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Let cool.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
  4. Mash bananas: In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps.
  5. Combine wet ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
  6. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few lumps are fine). Do not overmix.
  7. Fold in toasted walnuts, reserving about 2 tablespoons for topping. Stir with just a few strokes.
  8. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved walnuts on top, pressing in slightly.
  9. Bake for 55-65 minutes, starting to check at 50 minutes. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too fast around minute 40, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
  10. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter—overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough. Use room temperature ingredients for best incorporation. Toast walnuts for deeper flavor. Let bread cool completely before slicing to avoid a gummy texture. For a dairy-free version, use melted coconut oil or vegetable oil instead of butter. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For vegan, replace eggs with flax eggs and use coconut oil instead of butter.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin banana bread, fall recipe, quick bread, walnut bread, pumpkin bread, banana bread, easy fall baking

Find it online: https://lindabake.com/cozy-pumpkin-banana-bread-with-walnuts-easy-fall-recipe/