The Fall Ingredient That Your Banana Bread Deserves

Whether you're making a classic banana bread recipe or whipping up a batch of cinnamon banana bread muffins, you might be looking for a quick and easy way to give your dessert a special new twist. Enter: pumpkin puree. With pumpkin taking over autumn every year (yes, we're also obsessed with PSLs and pumpkin espresso martinis), it's no surprise that this powerhouse winter squash can also be used to elevate banana bread.

Similar to how you can use canned pumpkin to upgrade cornbread, incorporating some puree into your next loaf of banana bread not only brings moisture, similar to mashed bananas, but more importantly, it gives the baked good that signature comforting, rich pumpkin flavor that pairs so well with sweets. Combine that with complementary warm spices, and you've got yourself a pumpkin banana bread that can hold its own against all sorts of seasonal goodies.

When it comes to incorporating pumpkin puree into your recipe, keep in mind that you can use either canned puree from the store or a homemade version you whip up yourself. If using canned, just be careful not to accidentally buy pumpkin pie mix — this version usually has a ton of added sugar and spices that may make your bread too sweet (unless that's what you're going for!). If you want to control the flavor more, opt for regular canned pumpkin so that you can adjust the sweetness to your liking.

Now, pumpkin puree and mashed bananas can be used interchangeably in recipes, so it's easy to incorporate this beloved squash into your bread. Since you'll want to keep the dessert's integrity and still include banana, we recommend simply halving the amount of mashed banana required and using pumpkin in its place. Then, you can proceed with the recipe as is, or include warm spices — like allspice, cinnamon, or the all-encompassing pumpkin pie spice — to take it to the next level. If adding seasonings, a teaspoon or two in total should do the trick. Once done, you can leave the banana bread as is, or consider drizzling a glaze (a maple glaze would be amazing!) or icing on top. Now, enjoying a slice with your morning coffee? That's a quintessentially cozy fall morning we can get behind.