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a stack of Pumpkin Banana Bread

Pumpkin Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips

This healthy pumpkin banana bread recipe is made with sweet overripe bananas, pumpkin puree, and decadent chocolate chips! The banana flavor isn't overpowering but provides natural sweetness in this moist pumpkin banana bread.
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Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup mashed ripe banana, about 1-2 medium size bananas
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree, excess water removed, see notes (such as Libby's or homemade, I prefer to roast it in the oven (no oil, no seasoning) at about 400 F until pumpkin is soft enough to blend it into puree easily)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, or a small knob of freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 + ¼ cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, good quality matters (more flavor and aroma!)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cups unsalted butter, softened at room temp
  • ½ cup white granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 + ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ to ¾ cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips. Can use mini chocolate chips too, about ½ cups.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a mixer on low, and then add butter, sugars, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine and follow with mashed brown bananas, and pumpkin puree.
    Mix again until combined.
    Tip: I like to keep the pumpkin puree wrapped in linen or some sort of cloth (cheesecloth is the best here) and squeeze out the excess moisture, even with canned pumpkin puree. It really helps with the bread's texture.
  • In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients. Mix on low until everything combines. Stir in chocolate chips with a spatula.
  • The batter: should be soft, and sticky and you’ll have to pour the batter with a spoon into the prepared pan. It doesn’t have a  ‘’pourable’’ texture. Transfer the batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (lightly greased with cooking oil or lined with parchment paper). Tap the tin a few times against an even surface to remove the air bubbles and make the batter even (however, I like to ‘’move’’ the batter a little more towards the center, working from the sides up. Totally personal preference!). Make a small cut in the middle of the bread. This time (the photos) I didn't make proper cut and pumpkin banana bread rose more on one side of the bread.
    Decorate with more chocolate chips on top (optional).
  • Bake for 55 minutes to an hour until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, dry or with a few breadcrumbs. The bread will rise a lot during baking but once you open the oven after 55 minutes it will come down. Try not opening the oven unless the top is getting too burnt. Then cover it quickly with a piece of aluminum foil. Let the bread rest in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
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