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Prep time
40 minutes
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Cook time
1 hour 5 minutes
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makes
one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf
Author Notes
If you’re fond of banana bread, and also have some affection for its pumpkin brethren, have I got a treat for you. Pumpkin banana bread is the loaf cake you did not know you were missing. It brings so much to the table, and yet is as understated as they come. This loaf-cake hybrid has all the cozy banana flavor, coupled with an incredibly soft, moist crumb, that you’ve come to expect from a loaf of classic banana bread, but with some subtle, can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it autumnal vibes in the background. That’s the pumpkin, of course, plus a little cinnamon and ginger in the mix as well. And did I mention that it’s studded throughout with deeply toasted pecans? It is and you’re welcome.
I like brown sugar in this bread, as its signature caramel/molasses flavor is just perfect with both bananas and pumpkin. The oil keeps the bread moist for days and is the easiest fat to grab when baking a cake, but you can substitute melted butter, if you’d prefer. The spices help the pumpkin really sing, but leave them out or amp them up, if you so desire. Same goes for the pecans: I think they’re genius here, due to their flavor and texture, but if you are not pro-nut, or would prefer a different one (walnuts perhaps?), go for it. Interestingly enough, mashed bananas and pumpkin weigh the same and behave very similarly when baked, so feel free to add more of one or the other; just be sure not to change the total amount you use (1½ cups/340 grams per loaf).
Finally, in order to streamline the assembly of the recipe, add your leavening, salt, and spices to the wet ingredients and the flour, on its own, as the last step. This allows you to avoid dirtying an extra bowl and helps ensure the flour doesn’t get overworked, which could otherwise result in a tough cake. Bottom line loaf cake lovers, this bread is the best of so many worlds (be they banana, pumpkin, spiced, or nutty) and if any of those worlds light you and your taste buds up, there’s a very good chance it is soon to become your everything.
—Jessie Sheehan
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Ingredients
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1/2 cup
vegetable oil, plus more for pan
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1 cup
packed light brown sugar
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1 teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
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1
large egg
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3/4 teaspoon
baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
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1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon
ground ginger
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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3/4 cup
mashed bananas, about 2 medium very ripe ones
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3/4 cup
pure pumpkin purée
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1 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup
chopped pecans, toasted
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2 tablespoons
turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan with oil. Line the bottom with a large sheet of parchment paper that extends up and over the two long sides of the pan.
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Whisk the sugar, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the egg and then add baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, whisking vigorously. Whisk in bananas and pumpkin. Gently fold the flour and the pecans into the wet ingredients with a flexible spatula until the last streak of flour disappears.
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Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Generously sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway point, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with a moist crumb or two.
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Let cool for about 20 minutes until you can safely lift the loaf out of the pan by the parchment overhang without burning yourself. Run a butter knife around the edges if it resists. Let cool to room temperature before serving. Keep the bread tightly wrapped on the counter for up to 3 days.
Jessie Sheehan is a celebrated cookbook author, recipe developer, baker, and host of Cherry Bombe’s baking podcast, She’s My Cherry Pie. She is the self-proclaimed queen of “easy-peasy baking;” and has contributed recipes and writing to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Epicurious, Food52, Bon Appetit, and more. Her third cookbook, Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy Recipes for Exceptionally Scrumptious Sweets and Treats was a New York Times best cookbook of 2022. And its savory sibling Salty, Cheesy, Herby Crispy Snackable Bakes, was published in the fall of 2024.
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