This Healthier Pumpkin Banana Bread is generously spiced and is made using applesauce and spelt flour, and then spread with an addicting Maple Caramel Cream Cheese Icing.
This is the moistest quick bread that I have ever had. No contest. It has all the powerhouses of moistness: brown sugar, buttermilk, pumpkin and banana!
If you forget about the icing for a moment (which would be sad but not the end of the world), this bread is quite healthy! The only ingredient holding this pumpkin banana bread out of the Full-On-Healthy category is the sugar…because there is, um, a lot of sugar.
What do you want from me? I heart brown sugar with my pumpkin. Is that so wrong?
Aaaannnd then there is obviously the Maple Caramel Icing to completely separate this bread from Healthy. A silky, decadent maple cream cheese frosting made with my Maple Caramel Sauce.
Pure pumpkin maple bliss.
{Little sigh of pleasure}
The bread is ridiculously addictive and delicious even unadorned with frosting. It is incredibly moist and bursting with pumpkin and spices! I ate an entire mini-loaf by myself the first night. BAD.
But oh so good.
This pumpkin bread is packed full of Fall spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and, yes, mace. Don’t forget the mace! It’s my secret ingredient that I shared in my post about Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I used mostly spelt flour in place of all-purpose flour in this recipe, but if you can’t find it, using 100% all-purpose flour will be just as wonderful.
Recipe
Healthier Banana Pumpkin Bread with Maple Caramel Icing
Ingredients
For the Bread:
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace
- 3 medium (very ripe bananas)
- 16 oz pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs (lightly beaten)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cold cream cheese (no whipped, no low-fat)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (cold but still firm)
- pinch kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- ⅓ cup Maple Caramel Sauce (Recipe Here)
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Banana Bread:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° and butter and sugar (or flour) 2: 9 inch x 5 inch x 3 inch loaf pans or 6 mini pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, powder, salt and all the spices; set aside.
- In a separate bowl {if you are using an immersion blender like me} or in the pitcher of a blender, add the bananas and process until smooth. Next add the pumpkin, applesauce and oil; process until smooth. Add the buttermilk, and process to incorporate. Add the brown and granulated sugar and process until smooth. Last add the eggs and process until incorporated.
- If you are using a blender, pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add half the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and gently fold to incorporate. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Fold until very few lumps remain.
- Pour into your prepared baking pans. The batter should fill about ⅔ of the pan. It will rise! If you find yourself with extra batter, pour into muffin tins or into another small loaf pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40-75 minutes. The baking time varies greatly by the pan that you choose. Start peaking at 45 minutes. When the bread no longer jiggles in the center, test with a toothpick. It should come out clean or with very few crumbs clinging to it. Cool 20 minute in the pan and then turn them out to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Frosting:
- Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, salt and cinnamon on medium speed until smooth and creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and creamy. Slowly pour the caramel into the frosting in gradual increments until the frosting is a spreadable consistency and achieves the maple flavor you desire. My maple caramel was a bit runny so I added full amount but then added some more powdered sugar to thicken it back up. You can adjust to your liking.
- Frost cool loaves with an offset spatula. The frosting will keep best in the refrigerator but it will also keep for several days at room temperature.
Today is October 23rd, 2017. I'm a little bit late to the party here. I stumbled onto you through a lasagna thread on Pinterest. I almost NEVER post comments. (WHO HAS THE TIME!) But I HAVE to say this to you: this blog is beyond amazing. I love every bit of it. Yes, there are 20 million+ other food sites out there, but this one is now my all-time fave. It'll be my #1 go-to from here on. I love your theme.....America does offer the best food hands down. Thank you for offering it to the world!!
Can't wait to dive into the pumpkin banana bread and the maple caramel pecan bars! Yum.
Oh Jana, thank you so much! Your comment made my day! You are never too late to join this party! Happy to have you here. 🙂
Your photographs are spectacular.
Could I use almond flour instead?
Hi Michelle, I've never tried it with almond flour so I am not sure. Almond flour is a lot coarser and heavier than all-purpose, which will impact the texture of your bread.