Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread

Sweet mashed bananas and velvety pumpkin puree are a perfect pairing. When combined with pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup, the flavor profile of this vegan pumpkin-banana bread is bound to evoke some serious fall feelings! 

My creative process when developing this recipe went a little something like this: 

Banana Bread? Good. 

Pumpkin Bread? Very good. 

Pumpkin and Banana Bread? Must be SO GOOD.

And it didn’t disappoint! Thanks to the power of both mashed bananas and pumpkin puree, this vegan pumpkin banana bread bakes up unbelievably moist, with a rich taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture. 

A dash of pumpkin pie spice, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a splash of maple syrup round out the autumnal flavors in this quick bread--although once you taste it, you may just find yourself whipping up this recipe whether it's pumpkin season or not!

Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread Ingredients

• Baking soda - Helps the pumpkin-banana bread to rise as it bakes. 
• Pumpkin pie spice - Because this is a pumpkin banana bread after all! The flavors of pumpkin spice turn this bread into an extra festive treat. You can use your favorite store bought pumpkin spice mixture or use my homemade version. 
• Ground cinnamon - All pumpkin spice blends contain some cinnamon, but I find that the bread benefits from a bit of extra. 
• Salt - An understated seasoning when it comes to sweets and treats, but a dash of salt helps to enhance all of the other flavors at play! 
• All-purpose flour - Gives this banana bread just the right balance of structure and soft texture. I have only tested this recipe with classic AP flour so I can’t recommend swapping in other flour blends or alternatives.
• Bananas - Make sure to use very ripe bananas for this bread as you want them to be nice and sweet, plus they’re easier to mash. 
• Pumpkin puree - If using canned pumpkin puree, be sure not to accidentally pick up a can of pumpkin pie filling--it’s different stuff! We want pure pumpkin puree here, and the ingredients label should list nothing other than pumpkin. If you’d like to use homemade pumpkin puree, go for it! 
• Maple syrup - Adds sweetness and moisture, plus a hit of maple that complements the pumpkiny, autumnal flavor profile oh-so nicely! 
• Extra virgin olive oil - Keeps your pumpkin-banana bread moist and tender. 
• Coconut sugar - This is one of my go-to sugar choices but date sugar, maple sugar, organic cane sugar, or organic brown sugar all work well here too! Whichever sugar you choose, be sure to avoid non-organic refined sugars (i.e., classic white sugar) as they are not always processed in vegan-friendly methods. 
• Vanilla extract - Adds a subtle yet important flavor that works in the background to enhance all of the other flavors in this banana bread. 
• Vegan chocolate chips - I like to use dark chocolate chips in my banana bread but you can use vegan milk, semi-sweet, or white chocolate chips if you like. You can also leave these out if you prefer. 

How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread

1. Preheat and combine. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and salt. 
2. Mix in flour. Add all purpose flour and stir until well mixed, then set aside.  
3. Mix wet ingredients. Place whole ripe bananas in a separate bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the bananas into a smooth paste--it’s ok to have some banana chunks still left in the mixture. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, olive oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth and cohesive. 
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. 
5. Add chocolate chips. Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to fold vegan chocolate chips into the batter. 

6. Pour. Pour the batter into a greased (I usually use coconut oil or vegan butter) loaf pan that measures about 8x4x3. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if you like--I sure do! 
7. Bake. Transfer the loaf pan to your preheated oven and bake for about 45-60 minutes, checking it every 5 minutes after 45 minutes. The timing depends on your pan and oven. The bread is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Slice and serve. Let your bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove it to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.

Chef Tips 

Instead of greasing your loaf pan, you can line it with parchment paper! I do this often when I don’t feel like using any extra oils or simply want a less messyn preparation method. I always cut my parchment paper so that it is longer lengthwise, this way when it fits in the pan, the two ends hang over. The flaps work as handles when you are removing them from the pan. It works great!

How to Store 

At Room Temperature. Let the bread cool, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. No need to refrigerate it, you can store it on the countertop for up to 3 days--just like in the old days!

Refrigerating. If you need to store your pumpkin bread for longer, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Freezing. Pumpkin bread freezes really well!  Allow the bread to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe airtight container or ziplock freezer bag. You can freeze it in slices or as a whole loaf. Pumpkin bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.  

Thawing. Thaw your bread in the refrigerator for a few hours until soft

📋 Recipe