This pumpkin banana bread is so moist and warm spiced, finished with a crunchy sugar topping. It’s so cozy and tender, it’s actually my favorite pumpkin bread recipe!
What’s better than pumpkin bread? Pumpkin banana bread. I’m all about simplicity, so adding another ingredient to pumpkin bread is not our usual our style. But the ripe banana makes this fall bread incredibly moist, with a nuance in sweetness that makes it impossible not to take another bite.
It’s got just the right amount of cozy pumpkin spices, and a light crunchy turbinado sugar topping. It’s actually a spin on my Healthy Banana Bread and uses much less sugar than a classic banana bread, olive oil, and a little whole wheat flour too. To me, that’s a huge win!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s super moist and delicious. Adding bananas to pumpkin bread makes it super moist from the moisture in the bananas! The bananas also add a natural sweetness and richness that’s more nuanced than a straight pumpkin bread.
It’s easy. All you need is two bowls, a whisk, and one pan.
It’s lighter than most. It uses half the sugar of my standard pumpkin bread and includes olive il and a little whole wheat flour.
5 Star Reader Review
“The texture and flavour of this bread is delicious. Will definitely make this again. I used the recipe for the pumpkin spice as well.” -Lynn
Ingredients In Pumpkin Banana Bread
This pumpkin banana bread recipe was inspired by some blackening bananas on my counter and a half used can of pumpkin in our fridge. If you’re ever in this situation too, it’s the ideal time for this recipe! Why not mash up the fall classic with banana bread? Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need:
Very ripe bananas: The browner, the better here! I always use spotty, nearly black bananas because they add the best sweet flavor and moisture.
Pumpkin puree: Use canned 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. You can always use up leftovers in my pumpkin waffles or pumpkin smoothie!
Olive oil: I bake with olive oil because it keeps the crumb tender and fits the way I love to eat (the Mediterranean diet). I did this successfully in my Healthy Banana Bread and I love it!
Light brown sugar: I like how this melds with the bananas and spices.
All-purpose and whole wheat flour: Adding just a bit of whole wheat flour adds nutty depth. You can use 100% all-purpose if that’s all you have.
Pumpkin pie spice: This blend makes the best cozy spiced flavor!
Eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and kosher salt: The remaining baking characters to complete the loaf.
How to Make Pumpkin Banana Bread
Here’s the overview of how to make it (or jump to the recipe for exact amounts):
Mash and measure. Mash the bananas in a large bowl, then measure out ¾ cup.
Whisk the wet ingredients. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Stir them into the wet ingredients with a spatula.
Bake. Pour the batter into an oiled loaf pan, sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake at 375°F for about 45 minutes.
But you can also make homemade pumpkin pie spice! It’s a fun DIY project and a great gift. If you don’t have time to run to the store, you may already have the spices on hand.
Variations and Add-ins For Pumpkin Banana Bread
There are lots of ways to dress up this pumpkin banana bread if you’re a mix-in sort of person. I like making pumpkin bread straight, but it’s even more delicious with some of the following add-ins! You can add them to the batter or sprinkle on top:
Dark chocolate chips: Everyone loves pumpkin bread with a little chocolate.
Chopped walnuts or pecans: Add ½ cup chopped pecans and fold it into the dough.
Pumpkin seeds: I like sprinkling some pepitas over the top.
Streusel topping: Combine ¼ cup rolled oats, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ¼ cup turbinado sugar and ¼ cup salted butter (sliced into small pieces). Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork until a crumbly streusel topping forms. Sprinkle on the top of the bread and bake.
This pumpkin banana bread is so moist and warm spiced, finished with a crunchy sugar topping. It’s so cozy and tender, it’s actually my favorite pumpkin bread recipe!
Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan.
Make the batter: Mash the bananas in the bottom of a large bowl and measure them out. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk the baking soda, Pumpkin Pie Spice, kosher salt, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour. Then stir the dry ingredients into the batter with a spoon.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar (or brown sugar) if desired. Bake 45 minutes, then add foil loosely on the top. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean (or the internal temperature is 200 degrees): the exact timing will depend on the size of the pan.
Cool: Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and invert the loaf onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Storage info: The bread lasts 4 to 5 days at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil, refrigerated for 10 days, or frozen for 3 months (slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap then a freezer-safe bag or container).
Notes
Variation: You can also do a more banana forward variation: 1 cup ripe mashed bananas, ¾ cup pumpkin, and ½ cup light brown sugar (I tested this spin in myHealthy Banana Bread).
Coconut milk vs almond milk: is one better? When to use each? Here’s what to know about these non-dairy milks.
Coconut milk vs almond milk: which is better? When should you use one or the other? Both of these non-dairy milks are great options: it just depends on what you’re looking for!
As a cookbook author and professional recipe developer, I’ve been using these two ingredients in my recipes for years: especially because I specialize in vegetarian and vegan recipes! Here’s what to know about when to use them and their nutritional profiles.
Coconut Milk Vs Almond Milk: Overview
What are the differences between these two products? Here’s the general breakdown:
What is coconut milk? Coconut milk is a milk extracted from the pulp of coconuts. It is rich and creamy, and has a high fat content. Canned coconut milk is a traditional ingredient used in Southeast Asian and East African cuisine, as well as Latin American and Caribbean foods. You can also buy coconut milk as a non-dairy beverage in a refrigerated carton: this is essentially coconut milk with added water.
What is almond milk? Almond milk is a plant milk made of ground almonds and water. It’s low in fat and has a very thin texture.
Which One Is Healthier?
Is there a better choice between coconut milk and almond milk? Well, it all depends on what you’re looking for. Both of these dairy-free milks can be part of a healthy diet. Here’s a breakdown of the nutrition info per 1 cup serving:
Ingredient
Calories
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Canned coconut milk
552
5 grams
13 grams
57 grams
Carton coconut milk
45
0 grams
1 grams
4.5 grams
Almond milk
40
1 gram
3.5 grams
3 grams
Conclusion: You can see from the table above that canned coconut milk is very high in calories and fat, so a little goes a long way. Carton coconut milk (found in the refrigerated section) and almond milk are lower in calories and fat, with fewer carbs and less protein than canned coconut milk.
How To Use Each In Cooking
With all of that in mind, here are some of the best ways to use these products!
Canned coconut milk: It’s high in fat and calories, so it’s best used in smaller quantities. The benefit is that it is very, very creamy. It’s great for adding a creamy richness to sauces like in a curry or soup, or blending into smoothies.
Almond milk and carton coconut milk have a thinner texture since they have less fat. They work in baking and also as a milk substitute like with granola or muesli.
Which Non-Dairy Milk To Use in Coffee and Baking
Here’s what I typically do:
In coffee: Carton coconut milk tastes a little richer than almond milk, which is more neutral. Both aren’t ideal for lattes, so if you love a latte, look for “barista” versions made for steaming. (Here’s my almond milk latte recipe.)
In baking: I typically like to use unsweetened almond milk in baking. Its flavor is mild and it swaps 1:1 for dairy milk in pancakes, muffins, and quick breads.
In curries and soups: Always canned coconut milk! Nothing else gives that creamy body.
With cereal, granola, or oatmeal: Either carton milk is great here.
This easy pumpkin bread recipe mixes up in one bowl and bakes into a moist and cozy loaf. Top it with a quick maple glaze for my family’s favorite fall bake!
A good pumpkin bread recipe is an essential for any home cook. As a cookbook author and professional recipe developer, I’ve made more pumpkin bread recipes than I can count. But this one is my very favorite.
It’s so cozy-spiced and moist, with the perfect tender texture. And it’s so simple to whip up: all you need is one bowl, no special equipment: just dump and stir! When I’m feeling fancy, I top it with this maple glaze to take it over the top.
5 Star Reader Reviews
“So very yummy! This recipe was in this week’s email and I had to make it immediately! We devoured it! The glaze – lip smacking good!” -Jeni
“The best pumpkin bread! Thank you” -Cher
Ingredients You’ll Need
There are many ways to make a great pumpkin bread. I created this one to be ultra moist, with the perfect sweet, cozy spiced flavor and soft, tender crumb. There’s no need for a mixer or waiting for butter to come to room temperature: you can mix it all up in one bowl! Here are a few ingredient notes:
Pumpkin puree: Use canned or homemade; the most consistent brand I’ve found is Libby’s (we’re not affiliated).
Eggs: These bind the bread together. For egg-free, go to our Vegan Pumpkin Bread.
Granulated sugar: You can substitute the solid sweetener of your choice; I don’t recommend using maple syrup here.
Neutral oil: Oil makes a moister quick bread than butter; it also allows the recipe to be made in a bowl with no stand mixer.
Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice (or ginger, allspice, and nutmeg): Individual spices make the boldest flavor, but you can also use pumpkin pie spice.
All purpose flour: You can substitute up to ¼ of the flour with whole wheat flour. For a gluten-free option, go to our Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread, Step by Step
Here’s an overview of how to make this pumpkin bread recipe (or jump to the recipe card for quantities):
Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
Add the spices and baking powder. Whisk these in first. This method of adding the dry ingredients in two batches eliminates the need for a separate bowl.
Fold in the flour. Sprinkle in the flour half at a time, mixing with a spatula.
Bake. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 60 to 65 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out with a few clinging crumbs. Cool at least 30 minutes, and longer if you’d like to add a glaze.
Tips For A Perfectly Baked Loaf
Here are a few things to keep in mind for baking success with this pumpkin bread recipe:
Use an aluminum baking pan for best results (9 x 5-inch). Ceramic and glass pans don’t cook as evenly. This recipe is optimized for a 9 x 5 inch pan, but also works in a 8 x 4 inch pan.
Don’t overmix. Overmixing a quick bread can lead to holes in the texture of the crumb.
Let it cool fully before serving. This bread has an even more developed flavor once it is fully cooled: eating it after 2 hours is ideal.
Try It With Maple Glaze
This easy pumpkin bread is delicious plain, but we like it best with a glaze! This maple glaze is simple to whip up and has a sweet, maple-forward flavor.
Using maple glaze adds a pop of maple-forward flavor. It’s easy to find at the grocery store and it’s worth buying. However, the glaze tastes delicious without it!
Butter is helpful for storage. One advantage of the maple glaze is that the butter helps to make for a more solidified glaze that holds up better over time.
Want a solid glaze? Make double the glaze recipe below and glaze the cooled bread in the pan, so the glaze doesn’t run down the sides.
A gift: Wrap a cooled, unglazed loaf for a neighbor or teacher.
How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Bread
This pumpkin bread recipe tastes even better the next day, because it picks up moisture during storage. Here are a few tips for storage of this quick bread:
Stores at room temperature for 4 days, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil.
Stores refrigerated for 10 days. Cold temperatures can make it taste dryer, so bring to room temperature before serving.
Stores frozen for up to 3 months. Slice the cooled bread, then freeze it in slices for up to 3 months. Freezing works best without the glaze.
This easy pumpkin bread recipe mixes up in one bowl and bakes into a moist and cozy loaf. I love topping it with maple glaze for my family’s favorite fall bake!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch aluminum bread pan, then add parchment paper cut so that it fits the width and extends on both long sides, to easily remove the bread once its baked.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
Whisk in the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Then whisk in the baking powder and baking soda. Sprinkle in the flour, half at a time, and mix with a spatula until just combined and there are no more dry bits (don’t over-stir).
Pour the batter into the bread pan.
Bake 60 to 65 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out with a few clinging crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and pull up on the parchment paper to remove the bread. Allow to cool to room temperature if glazing.
If making the glaze, heat the butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan until the butter melts. In a medium bowl, slowly whisk the powdered sugar, butter and maple syrup, salt and maple extract until a thick glaze forms. Gradually add the milk to make a smooth, pourable glaze. If the glaze is too sticky, add a teaspoon more milk until it comes to a smooth, thick consistency. Use a fork to drizzle across the bread.
Slice into pieces and serve. Stores for 4 days at room temperature wrapped in foil, 10 days in the refrigerator (bring to room temperature before serving), or freeze in slices for a few months (freezing works best without the glaze).
This Instant Pot wild rice soup recipe is cozy and naturally creamy, a delicious and filling dinner that pleases everyone. It has become a fan favorite recipe with many positive reviews from readers!
Over the years, the Instant Pot become a well-used tool in our house! While it doesn’t cook food in an instant, it does provide an easy, hands-off way to make soup: no stovetop babysitting required!
This Instant Pot wild rice soup recipe is a spin on my classic wild rice soup that’s a reader favorite! Everyone I’ve served it to positively raves about it. Even better, the Instant Pot cooks dried beans in the same time as the rice (wow!). When I took the first bite after Alex made this recipe for me, I was blown away!
5 Star Reader Reviews
“This soup was so delicious and warming! A perfect soup for fall or winter with the combination of aromatic herbs, ingredients, and creaminess. Oooh, it was so good! This will become a fall/winter favorite!” -Jan
“OMG this is so tasty! This will be on repeat. Thank you!” -Helen
“This was so great! I wasn’t sure I would be able to sell the meatless version to my family and they are crazy about it!” -Michelle
Key Ingredients for Wild Rice Soup
Here are the key ingredients you’ll need for this soup:
Wild rice: Wild rice isn’t actually rice, if we’re being technical! It’s the seed of a type of grass, with a nutty flavor and chewy texture. Here it’s important to use 100% wild rice, not a wild rice blend which includes different types of rice.
Dried Great Northern beans: Here’s the great part: this soup uses dried beans! The Instant Pot cooks the dried beans way quicker than on the stove, and they taste even better than canned beans.
Mushrooms and vegetables: I always use baby bella mushrooms (also called cremini) for a savory, meaty flavor, but you can also use white button mushrooms. Onion, celery, and carrots make the classic mirepoix base, plus a bunch of garlic.
Vegetable broth: Use any type of broth you have on hand..
Dried thyme, oregano, and sage: This soup is boldly seasoned on purpose, because the Instant Pot can kill the flavors (similar to a Crock Pot). It will turn out delicious: I promise!
Cashews: Raw or roasted cashews both work: they make a creamy body without the use of cream.
Soy sauce or tamari: A splash at the end adds savory depth to the flavors!
How to Make Wild Rice Soup in the Instant Pot
This wild rice soup recipe is a bit different than most, since it’s made in a pressure cooker not the stovetop! Also, I decided to create this wild rice soup without using meat or dairy, so it’s naturally creamy. I’ve made lots of Instant Pot soup recipes, but this one remains a favorite!
While the soup is cooking, you’ll soak some cashews.
Once the soup is done, you’ll blend together the cashews with some of the soup and some dried sage to create a naturally creamy base without cream.
Why Make Instant Pot Soup
The advantage of cooking this soup in an Instant Pot instead of the stovetop is that it’s totally hands off once the cooking starts. You can throw the soup in the pot and then go do other things, until your dinner is done! Because this recipe takes over 1 hour to make, we made the serving size large: it serves about 8. That way, you can have plenty for leftovers.
Tips For Soup With Dried Beans
For this wild rice soup recipe, I’ve used dried white beans in the Instant Pot. In a normal stovetop soup recipe, you would typically use canned or already cooked beans and add them to the soup.
Because the wild rice takes so long to cook already, I decided to add dried white beans to this soup recipe. They’re cheaper and taste even better than canned, and they also add a filling protein to the soup. Keep in mind that that you may need a few extra minutes on the cook time if the beans are not fully tender after the timing in the recipe below.
Substitutions and Variations
Chicken: Stir in cooked shredded chicken (pre-cooked), after the soup is done. Rotisserie chicken is a nice swap.
Nut-free: For a nut-free variation, you can swap the cashews for ½ cup heavy ream. (As you know, it will no longer be vegan!)
Add greens: Stir in a few handfuls of spinach at the end until wilted.
You can store leftover soup in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will become much thicker as it sits, so when you reheat it you can add a splash of broth or water. The soup also freeze for up to 3 months.
Dietary Notes
This Instant Pot wild rice soup recipe is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free (with tamari).
This Instant Pot wild rice soup recipe is cozy and naturally creamy, so it’s a 100% plant based dinner. Serve with crusty bread. For a stovetop version, go to Best Wild Rice Soup.
Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on Saute mode. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and oregano and stir for 2 minutes.
Add the broth, wild rice, dried white beans, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and black pepper. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Place the pressure release handle (vent) in the “Sealing” position.
Cook onHigh Pressure for 45 minutes: Press the Pressure Cook button, making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected, and set the time. Note that it takes about 5 to 10 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. (During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid.)
Quick release: Vent the remaining steam from the Instant Pot by moving the pressure release handle to “Venting”, covering your hand with a towel or hot pad. Never put your hands or face near the vent when releasing steam. Open the pressure cooker lid. Taste a bean to see if it is tender (bean brands can vary). If not, cook on High Pressure for another 5 minutes and do a quick release.
Using a liquid measuring cup, carefully remove 2 cups of the hot soup (including the broth, veggies and rice) to a blender. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender with the dried sage. Blend on high for about 1 minute until creamy. Then pour back into the soup.
Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt and the soy sauce. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh ground pepper.
Notes
*If you use roasted salted cashews, omit the soy sauce at the end; then add it to taste. If you have a cashew allergy, try using the same amount of whole milk or cream to make a creamy base.
More Instant Pot recipes
Outside of this wild rice soup recipe, here are some of our favorite Instant Pot soups:
Pin Recipe
