This Banana Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is what happens when your two favorite fall quick breads stop competing and join forces. Ripe bananas keep it ultra moist, pumpkin puree brings that cozy autumn flavor, and semi-sweet chocolate chips make sure nobody walks away from the counter with just one slice. The batter comes together in about 10 minutes, and the last loaf I baked didn’t survive the afternoon.
If you’re on a fall baking kick like I am, you’ll also love my Bourbon Banana Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, and these Banana Crumb Muffins when the banana bowl gets away from you again.
In This Post
Why This Works
Bananas and pumpkin are both moisture powerhouses, but they behave differently in a batter. Bananas bring natural sugar and that soft, cakey crumb, while pumpkin puree adds body and an earthiness that keeps the loaf from tasting like plain banana bread wearing a costume. Together they create a bread that stays moist for days without being heavy or gummy.
Creaming the butter and sugar first is the other secret. It whips air into the batter, which gives you a lighter texture than the melted-butter method most quick breads use. Combined with fresh baking soda reacting with the acidity of the banana, you get a tall, tender loaf every single time.
Heather’s Recipe Notes
Drawing from 20 years of recipe development and my time co-founding a spice company, here’s what makes this recipe worth making exactly as written.
- Use bananas that are heavily spotted and soft. The riper the banana, the sweeter the loaf and the easier they mash into the batter.
- Pumpkin puree only, not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling is pre-sweetened and pre-spiced and will throw the whole recipe off.
- Room temperature butter and eggs are non-negotiable for proper creaming. Pull them out an hour before you bake.
- I use my homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice here. After co-founding Spiceology, I got very picky about spice freshness, and a stale jar of pumpkin spice is the fastest way to a bland loaf.
- Check your baking soda’s freshness. Old baking soda equals a dense, deflated bread, and nobody wants that after 70 minutes of waiting.
Ingredient in Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Puree – use puree not pumpkin pie filling as they are not the same.
- Bananas – use bananas that are spotted brown and soft to the touch for the best flavor and blending in the batter.
- Unsalted Butter – room temperature butter is necessary. If you use salted butter, 1/2 the salt in the flour mixture.
- Sugar – this recipe calls for white granulated sugar, but you could use light brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
- Eggs – large eggs at room temperature.
- Flour – all purpose flour that is spooned into the measuring cup and leveled.
- Spices – this recipe calls for Pumpkin Spice that you can make or purchase premade spice blends like this one.
- Chocolate Chips – semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks are optional, but chocolate always makes life better.
- Vanilla – use a good quality vanilla extract.
- Baking Soda – use the freshest baking soda possible to prevent deflated bread.
- Nuts – walnuts or pecans are optional but will make this Banana Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread even tastier.
Find the full printable recipe card with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions below.
Subs & Variations
- Swap the granulated sugar for light brown sugar for a deeper, molasses-tinged flavor.
- Use chocolate chunks instead of chips for bigger melty pockets in every slice.
- Stir in a half cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
- Make it into muffins instead. Divide the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes.
- Add a tablespoon of espresso powder to the dry ingredients to intensify the chocolate flavor.
How to Make Banana Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well to combine. Sift the dry ingredients together and add them to the butter mixture mixing well. Add bananas, pumpkin, and vanilla and stir well. Add in chocolate chips and nuts, if using.
Pour into a buttered loaf pan and bake 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Turn onto a wire rack to cool. This is the hard part because you’re going to want to cut into it, but wait as the bread is still cooking and you don’t want it to be gooey in any way.
Tips for Storing
- Store the cooled loaf wrapped in plastic wrap or in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week, though the crumb is best at room temp.
- Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices wrapped tightly in plastic and bagged for up to 6 months.
- Reheat slices in the microwave in 15 second bursts, or toast them and add a smear of salted butter.
- Always cool the bread completely before wrapping, or trapped steam will make it soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as long as it’s well drained. Homemade pumpkin puree tends to be wetter than canned, so strain it through cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve first, or the loaf may bake up gummy.
The usual culprits are expired baking soda, underbaking, or opening the oven door too early. Test the center with a toothpick before pulling it, and give your baking soda the vinegar fizz test if it’s been in the pantry a while.
A cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum works well here. The banana and pumpkin add enough moisture that the texture holds up better than in many gluten free bakes.
The peels should be heavily speckled with brown or nearly black. Underripe bananas won’t mash smoothly and won’t bring enough sweetness to the batter.
Absolutely. Bake it in two loaf pans rather than one larger pan so the centers cook through evenly, and start checking for doneness around the 1 hour mark.
No, the bread is delicious without them. But in my kitchen, chocolate is always the right answer.
More Recipes We Love
Here’s a quick list of other fall favorite recipes from Farmgirl Gourmet
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Roasted Pumpkin, Gala Apple & Garam Masala Soup
- Mustard Crusted Chicken over Quinoa & Roasted Pumpkin Salad
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Chorizo Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
- Easy Lasagna Muffins
- Blueberry Lemon Loaf
Banana Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Recommended Tools
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for buttering loaf pan
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer, or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well.
- Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the butter mixture. Blend well. Add the bananas, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Stir well. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using, and pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake 1 hour & 10 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to rest until cooled.
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Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
OMG this bread is soooo good.