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Moist Pumpkin Banana Walnut Bread

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This Moist Pumpkin Banana Walnut Bread is an incredibly tender and flavorful quick bread that combines pumpkin puree and ripe bananas for a pudding-like texture, topped with a crunchy walnut streusel. It’s a foolproof, crowd-pleasing recipe perfect for fall baking or using up leftover ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2–3 medium bananas)
  • ¾ cup (85g) chopped walnuts, toasted
  • For the Walnut Streusel Topping (optional):
  • ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup (30g) chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray, then line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides.
  2. Toast the walnuts: Spread the chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the preheating oven for 5-7 minutes, until they smell nutty and are lightly golden. Watch them carefully—they burn fast. Set aside to cool. If you’re making the streusel, set aside ¼ cup of the toasted walnuts for that.
  3. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
  4. Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
  5. Add the eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. The mixture might look slightly curdled—that’s okay.
  6. Mix in the pumpkin and banana: Add the pumpkin puree and mashed bananas. Mix on low speed until just combined. The batter will look a little loose and lumpy. Don’t overmix here.
  7. Fold in the dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed after each until just combined. You should still see a few streaks of flour. Overmixing will make the bread tough.
  8. Fold in the walnuts: Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the toasted walnuts (reserving ¼ cup for the streusel if using). Fold just until they’re evenly distributed.
  9. Make the streusel (if using): In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the reserved ¼ cup toasted walnuts.
  10. Assemble the loaf: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. If using streusel, sprinkle it evenly over the top. Gently press it into the batter so it sticks.
  11. Bake: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly (after about 40 minutes), tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
  12. Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift it out and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Wait at least 1 hour before slicing.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid tough bread. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Toast walnuts for enhanced flavor. Let bread cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. For consistent results, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin banana bread, walnut bread, moist pumpkin bread, fall baking, quick bread, easy recipe

Find it online: https://sizzlesprout.com/moist-pumpkin-banana-walnut-bread-the-best-easy-recipe/