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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 most moist quick bread that I have ever had. No contest. It has all the powerhouses of moistness: brown sugar, buttermilk, pumpkin and banana!
It is a healthier version of the best pumpkin bread and pumpkin coffee cake!
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.
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
- 1/3 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 2/3 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.
That icing is killing me because I want some of it right now! My hubby does not like banana bread but I wonder if he would go for this. I can’t wait to try it and find out. Thanks for sharing at the Merry Monday Linky party. I hope you’ll be able to join us again next week.
Who doesn’t like banana bread?!?!!? Thanks for stopping by, Jade!
Oh my! Maple caramel cream cheese icing sounds just about sinful. Pinning because this looks amazing. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.
Oh it is and totally worth every sinful bite!
I just made this delicious bread! It was so ridiculously moist. I used coconut oil instead of canola oil. I also used half the amount of sugar and it was still overly sweet. Next time I will cutback even more. I also added 1 tsp of vanilla bean paste. I have made hundreds of pumpkin breads however, I have to say this one is one of the moistest. I bet this would be delicious as petite fours, if baked in a jelly pan and cut in squares for the holidays.
Such a great sub! I should have used coconut oil as well! There is a LOT of sugar in it. It is absolutely the moistest quick bread that I have ever had. I am glad you enjoyed it! I think it would be good as petite fours or even cake pops 🙂
Oh my heavens, I am DyING over that frosting right now!! It looks unbelievably amazing!!!
Thanks, renee! The frosting is definitely to die for!
What can I substitute for the white flour to make it gluten-free?
Hi Heather, I have not experimented with making this particular recipe gluten free. You would need to substitute for the white flour and also the spelt flour, because neither is gluten free. You can try coconut flour or white rice flour. I don’t suggest quinoa flour because it has a strong taste. Good luck and let me know what you try!
100% mouth watering! literally drooling… I need some of this 😉
Thanks, Michelle!
Can I substitute white flour for the spelt? If so, same amount? Thanks – YUM!
Yes, you can substitute the same amount of all-purpose flour for the spelt. You’re welcome! Enjoy!
Oh, the maple. This is to die for!
I would willingly live off of this icing. Forever