Easy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread with Banana

This Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread with Banana is the perfect fall twist to traditional banana bread. The seasonal flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, and spice are prominent while the banana just adds a subtle sweetness. Banana also keeps the pumpkin bread nice and moist.

I love enjoying this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread as a sweet treat after dinner and it is always a hit for family gatherings. My in-laws request that I bring this over during our game nights as soon as fall begins!

Canned or Homemade Pumpkin Puree

You may use canned or homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe. It is completely up to you and will not drastically change the flavor of the pumpkin bread. I love using homemade pumpkin puree, however, if you’re short on time then don’t hesitate to use canned.

Libby’s Pumpkin Pure is the go-to recommendation as is the Walmart brand and Trader Joes.

Pumpkin Puree Tips

Throughout the years I have discovered a special trick for using pumpkin puree in the can. Canned pumpkin puree can often be watered down. For this recipe, and any recipe using canned puree, follow this trick below.

• place a cheese cloth over a medium bowl
• pour your pumpkin puree over the cheese cloth
• grab the ends of the cheese cloth so it is completely wrapped around the puree
• squeeze out all of the access water into the bowl
• use just the condensed pumpkin puree left inside the cheese cloth

Best pumpkins for homemade pumpkin puree.

Each year, I make a batch of pumpkin puree at the beginning of the season and freeze it. Here’s a secret. Never purchase the “Pumpkin Pie” pumpkins. They are NOT the best. Believe it or not, it’s the heirloom pumpkins that make the best pies. Basically, pumpkins that look nothing like the typical pumpkins we use for carving.

Check out my article on The Best Pumpkins for Pies, Baking, and Cooking!

Each year my local nursery and Trader Joes, put out a variety of heirloom pumpkins. I grab a few early in the fall season, make my puree, and then freeze 1 cup serving in ziplock bags to use throughout the year.

Ingredients 🎃

You’ll find all of the seasonings and ingredients in the recipe card, but I do like to highlight important ingredients and tips in the article.

Cinnamon

Many seasonal recipes call for the use of cinnamon and I always recommend purchasing a quality ground cinnamon. You want to use a cinnamon that has a rich dark coloring. It is worth it to splurge on a more expensive cannimon spice which will result in better flavor and aroma.

Mashed Banana’s

I have made this bread with and without mashed banana’s. Making pumpkin bread with banana adds so much moisture and gives this bread a great texture. I add bananas to almost all of my sweet bread recipes because of this additional moisture. All of the various spices and ingredients mask the banana flavor so it is not prominent, but just adds a nice subtle sweetness.

Instructions 📝

First, Preheat your oven to 350 F. Then beat the eggs with a mixer on low and add the butter, sugars, vanilla, mashed banana, and pumpkin puree. Continue mixing until combined.

Then, in a separate mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients. Mix on low until everything is combined. Once combines, stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula. The batter should be soft, and sticky. You will have to spoon it into the tin. It does not have a  ‘’pourable’’ texture.

Next, transfer the batter into a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin that is lightly greased with cooking oil or lined with parchment paper. Tap the tin a few times against an even surface to remove any air bubbles and make the batter even. Make a small cut in the middle of the bread dough and decorate with additional chocolate chips on the top.

Bake for 55 minutes to an hour until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few breadcrumbs. The pumpkin bread will rise a lot during baking but once you open the oven after 55 minutes it will come down. Once finished, let the bread rest in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Additional Baking Tips

Try not to open the oven unless the top of the chocolate chip pumpkin bread is getting too brown. If you notice your bread becoming too brown, quickly cover it with a piece of aluminum foil. This will allow the bread to continue cooking without the top burning.

Discover More Pumpkin Recipes

Storage

This chocolate chip pumpkin bread with banana will store on the counter for 2 days and should then be placed in the refrigerator. It will last an additional 2 days in the fridge. You can also freeze slices of this bread in ziplock bags. Just take it out to defrost for about 30 minutes and reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer for a few minutes.