Pumpkin Banana Bread with Apples - perfect recipe for the Fall season and the holidays. This is a low-fat recipe with only 2 oz of butter (4 tablespoons) used to make a whole loaf ( 9×5 inch loaf pan), the rest of the butter is replaced with pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, and Greek yogurt.
This is one of my favorite dessert and breakfast recipes to make in the Fall and in the Winter. This PUMPKIN banana bread is stuffed with apple chunks, flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, and baked to perfection, with a gorgeous top crust! This recipe rivals my other Fall favorite: Banana Apple Bread with Caramel Sauce and Pecans.
Pumpkin Banana Bread - moist and low-fat recipe
- This recipe combines so many of my favorite things: bananas, pumpkin, apples, cinnamon, vanilla, and Greek yogurt. Yes, since I mentioned Greek yogurt, that means that this bread is also low-fat, with only 4 tablespoons of butter (2 oz) used for a whole loaf!
- If you bake lots of banana breads, you know that ripe bananas and Greek yogurt work great as butter replacement. We're keeping only 2 oz of butter (4 tablespoons of butter) in the whole loaf (for texture). In place of butter, I am using mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and pumpkin puree - all of these ingredients make this bread really moist, soft and tasty.
Recipe notes
- Do not over mix banana bread batter. The lumps will work themselves out during baking.
- Use a 9×5 inch bread loaf pan. You can also use a smaller, 8×4 inch loaf pan, and pour the remaining banana bread batter into 3 muffin cups. You can also, of course, use mini loaf pans.
- Butter a loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, butter the parchment paper too. Lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper ensures that the bottom of the bread will not get stuck.
What kind of apples to use in pumpkin banana bread?
- You can add any kind of apples, as long as they are crisp (not soft or mushy).
- Use sweet kind of apples (such as Gala), and you'll get a sweeter loaf.
- Use tart apples (such as Granny Smiths), and you'll get a sweet loaf too, with a touch of pleasant tartness from baked apples.
For this pumpkin banana bread loaf, I actually used 2 completely different apples: one very tart Granny Smith apple and one very sweet Gala apple. Chopped up into chunks and folded into the cake batter, these sweet and tart apple chunks add an unforgettable contrast of flavor! You don't even need to peel the apples: after being baked in the bread for about an hour, they get very soft, including the peel, there is really no need to peel them. Plus, I think the peel holds the apple chunks together better: they don't get so mushy.
Why make this recipe
Dear friends, please try this Fall pumpkin banana bread: you won't be disappointed! The pumpkin flavor is so subtle and perfect in this bread, I am convinced this could become a favorite recipe even for those who don't like pumpkin in their desserts: try this recipe and you'll change your mind! And, don't even get me started on what a great breakfast this bread makes!
Other pumpkin banana bread recipes
If you enjoyed this pumpkin banana bread, you might like these recipes:
Pumpkin Banana Bread with Apples
Ingredients
- 2 oz unsalted butter (4 tablespoons butter), very soft, room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 bananas , very ripe, mashed
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups apples , sliced into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, using electric mixer, beat 4 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of white sugar on high speed for 1 minute until well-combined. You will get coarse looking mixture (not creamy).
- Add 2 eggs to the butter-sugar mixture and continue beating for another minute until very creamy and very smooth.
- Add mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar-eggs mixture, and continue beating, using electric mixer, until well combined – for about another minute.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine sifted flour (do not overpack the flour, when measuring it using measuring cups!), baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, and mix, using large spoon, just until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX. If there are lumps – they will work themselves out during baking. Fold in apple chunks.
- Butter a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, butter the parchment paper too. Note: lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper ensures that the bottom of the bread will not get stuck.
- Pour the batter in the pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
- Note: I have also used a 8×4 inch loaf pan, plus 3 muffin cups with this recipe. You can also, of course, use mini loaf pans.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This recipe was originally published on October 9, 2013, and republished in November 2018 with updates.
I didn’t have yogurt, so I substituted sour cream. I also added chopped walnuts. I’m thinking maybe next time to substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, as the pumpkin flavor just wasn’t there. I did have to add about 15 minutes to the baking time. Delicious and moist.
Vern, thank you for the detailed and helpful feedback! Pumpkin pie spice would be a great addition and so are chopped walnuts. Glad you enjoyed this recipe and Happy Holidays! 🙂
Beautiful luscious flavorful bread. Instructions were appreciated to make it perfect.
Hope, thank you for such a generous comment! Glad you loved this recipe! 🙂
I made muffins;adding craisins and sprinkling extra cinnamon on the top. They are delicious and would be perfect for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee.Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thea, you are very welcome! 🙂 I Love the addition of craisins to these muffins - so good!!
I had enough for my loaf pan and a small loaf pan. I added walnuts. It was delicious and I will make it again.
Jack, I am glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! Love the addition of nuts!
This bread is soooo delicious and moist i doubled it and made one loaf and put the rest into muffins. I also added raisins and topped a few with chocolate chips. Definitely recommend!
Ashley, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Love the addition of raisins and chocolate chips! Thank you for stopping by and sharing such a positive comment! 🙂
Excellent I just added some nutmeg and baked a double batch so I could share with friends
Marsha, I am glad you liked it! Adding nutmeg sounds delicious!
Very good and moist! If I make again I’d add more cinnamon and some salt.
Caitlin, thank you for trying the recipe - glad you loved it! 🙂
What could I use in place of white sugar? Could I use a sugar replacement??
Tracy, I keep seeing the comments on my other cake recipes that people use monk fruit sweeteners. I've never used it and am not sure about the amounts - so that would have to be definitely adjusted.