This airy pumpkin spice banana bread combines ripe banana with yogurt and warm autumn spices. The banana provides natural sweetness, while the yogurt keeps the banana bread soft and moist.
Pumpkin spice gives every slice the flavor of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Delicious for breakfast, as a snack or alongside a cup of coffee or tea.
The recipe uses whole wheat flour and does not require much additional sweetener. Use very ripe bananas for the best result: the browner the peel, the sweeter and more aromatic the banana bread will become.
Preparation: 15 minutes
Oven time: 50–60 minutes
Yield: about 10 slices
Loaf pan: about 25 cm
What makes this banana bread airy?
Banana bread can quickly become dense because of the moisture from the bananas. In this recipe, baking powder and baking soda together provide a lighter texture. The baking soda reacts with the acid from the yogurt and helps the batter rise during baking.
It is also important not to overmix the batter. Fold the dry ingredients briefly into the banana mixture and stop as soon as no dry flour is visible.
The ratio of banana, yogurt and flour also plays a role. Therefore do not add more yogurt or banana than stated in the recipe. Too much liquid can cause the center to stay sticky.
Ingredients
For one pumpkin spice banana bread you will need:
- 3 medium, very ripe bananas, about 300 g without peel
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 125 g Greek yogurt or low-fat quark
- 175 g whole wheat flour
- 50 g almond flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (make your own pumpkin spice spice mix)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, optional
- 50 g coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
- A little oil or butter for the loaf pan
Are your bananas very large? Preferably weigh about 300 grams of flesh. Too much banana will make the loaf heavier and wetter.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C (top and bottom heat) or 160 °C fan.
- Lightly grease a loaf pan of about 25 cm and line the bottom and long sides with baking paper.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl into an almost smooth puree. A few small pieces of banana may remain visible.
- Add the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract and optionally the honey or maple syrup. Whisk briefly with a whisk until everything is combined.
- In a second bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, almond flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture. Gently fold everything together until no dry flour is visible. Do not mix longer than necessary.
- Reserve a small amount of nuts for the top if desired and fold the rest briefly through the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top gently.
- Scatter the reserved nuts over the batter. Optionally sprinkle a very small amount of extra pumpkin spice over it.
- Bake the banana bread for 50 to 60 minutes in the middle of the oven.
- Check the loaf after about 50 minutes. Insert a wooden skewer into the center. It may come out with some dry crumbs, but not with wet batter.
- If the top becomes too dark while the center is not yet done, loosely cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil and continue baking.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes first. Then lift it out of the pan using the baking paper and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Only slice the banana bread once it has mostly cooled. Warm banana bread is still fragile and may appear sticky or fall apart.
Make your own pumpkin spice
Pumpkin spice is a spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. For your own batch mix:
- 4 tablespoons ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
Store the mix in a clean, dry and well-sealed spice jar. For this banana bread you use two teaspoons.
Want to know more about the composition and uses? Also read What is pumpkin spice? How to make the popular spice mix yourself.
Do you need to add extra sugar?
Very ripe bananas naturally give the banana bread a sweet taste. Therefore extra sugar is not necessary. If you want a slightly sweeter result, add two tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.
Do not taste raw batter that contains egg. You can, however, taste a small piece of banana beforehand to estimate how sweet it is.
Are you serving the banana bread with sweet toppings, such as nut butter or a little honey? Then you can usually omit the extra sweetener in the batter without any problem.
Can you use only whole wheat flour?
Yes, you can replace the almond flour with 50 grams extra whole wheat flour. The result will then be slightly firmer and less tender, but the recipe will still work well.
For a somewhat lighter texture you can replace half of the whole wheat flour with regular wheat flour or spelt flour. The banana bread will then contain less whole grain flour but will bake a bit higher and airier.
Do not replace almond flour one-to-one with ground oats without taking the texture into account. Oats absorb more moisture and can make the bread drier and denser.
Which yogurt can you use?
Greek yogurt, thick plain yogurt and low-fat quark are all suitable. Preferably use an unsweetened variety without added flavors.
A very thin yogurt contains more moisture. Drain it briefly if necessary or use slightly less.
For a plant-based version you can use a thick unsweetened soy or coconut yogurt. Note that coconut yogurt can add a noticeable coconut flavor.
Variations on the recipe
You can easily adapt the basic recipe with ingredients that pair well with pumpkin spice:
- Add 75 grams of blueberries.
- Stir 50 grams of dark chocolate chips into the batter.
- Add a small apple cut into cubes.
- Replace the pecans with walnuts.
- Add two tablespoons of pumpkin seeds.
- Stir the finely grated zest of half an orange into the batter.
- Add a tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter to the wet mixture.
Pat apple pieces or blueberries dry beforehand. This prevents unnecessary extra moisture from entering the batter.
Pumpkin spice cake or banana bread?
This recipe falls structurally between cake and traditional banana bread. It is moister and less sweet than regular cake, but airier than many dense banana breads.
Want to make it more of a true pumpkin spice cake? Use half whole wheat flour and half regular flour and add three tablespoons honey, maple syrup or light brown sugar.
For a nutritious breakfast or snack it is best to prepare the recipe as described above.
How to serve pumpkin spice banana bread
The banana bread is tasty both at room temperature and lightly warmed. Serve a slice, for example, with:
- Greek yogurt or quark
- Cottage cheese
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Banana slices
- Sautéed apple
- Chopped pecans
- A little honey
- A pinch of extra pumpkin spice
For an extensive autumn breakfast you can combine it with our pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin spice pancakes with cottage cheese.
Storing banana bread
Let the banana bread cool completely before you wrap it. Then store it well sealed for up to three days in a cool place.
In the refrigerator it generally stays good for four to five days. The loaf will become slightly firmer due to the low temperature. Let a slice come to room temperature for a bit or warm it briefly.
You can also freeze the banana bread. First slice it and place a piece of baking paper between each slice. Store the slices in a well-sealed freezer container or bag. This way you can defrost one portion at a time.
Frequently asked questions
1. Why is my banana bread sticky inside?
The loaf may contain too much banana or yogurt, is underbaked or was cut too warm. Weigh the banana, check the center with a skewer and let the loaf cool well.
2. Can I replace the yogurt with cottage cheese?
Yes. Puree the cottage cheese until smooth first and use the same amount. The result may be slightly firmer than with yogurt.
3. Can I make pumpkin spice banana bread without nuts?
Yes, the nuts are completely optional. You do not need to replace them. For some extra texture you can use pumpkin seeds.
4. Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes. Let them thaw completely and drain excess liquid before you weigh and mash them.
5. Can I bake this banana bread as muffins?
Yes. Divide the batter among about twelve muffin cups and bake the muffins for about 20 to 25 minutes. Check with a wooden skewer to see if they are done.
