Print

Easy Kid-Approved Banana Pumpkin Bread with Pecans

banana pumpkin bread with pecans - featured image
Print Recipe

This moist and flavorful banana pumpkin bread combines ripe bananas, pumpkin puree, and toasted pecans for a kid-friendly treat that’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, or bake sales. It’s quick to make with simple ingredients and always a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (195g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil (80ml)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar (50g)
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large or 3 medium)
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (120g)
  • ¼ cup milk (60ml)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chopped pecans (60g), toasted
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)

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 for easy lifting. Lightly grease the exposed ends.
  2. Toast the pecans: In a dry skillet over medium heat, add the chopped pecans. Stir frequently for 3-5 minutes until they smell nutty and look slightly darker. Watch closely—they burn fast. Transfer to a plate to cool. Set aside 2 tablespoons for topping if desired.
  3. Mash the bananas: In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps. You want about 1 cup.
  4. Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
  5. Mix wet ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add eggs, melted coconut oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
  6. Combine wet and dry: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold gently. Stop as soon as you see no more streaks of flour. Overmixing makes tough bread—a few lumps are perfectly fine.
  7. Fold in pecans: Add the toasted pecans (reserving a few for topping) and fold 2-3 times to distribute evenly. Don’t overdo it.
  8. Pour into pan: Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread evenly with the spatula. Sprinkle reserved pecans and turbinado sugar on top, if using.
  9. Bake for 50-60 minutes: Start checking at 50 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil at the 40-minute mark.
  10. Cool in pan: Place the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Then lift the bread out using the parchment overhang and cool completely on the rack—at least 1 hour. Slicing too early makes it crumble.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid tough bread. Toast pecans for best flavor. Use room temperature ingredients for even mixing. Let bread cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. Bread keeps for up to 4 days at room temperature or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana pumpkin bread, pumpkin bread with pecans, easy banana bread, kid-friendly bread, fall baking, quick bread

Find it online: https://willarecipes.com/easy-kid-approved-banana-pumpkin-bread-with-pecans/