Upon feeling that first crisp breeze on my face and smelling that fresh autumnal air, I get a real hankering to make some banana bread. We have a recipe that has been in our family since I was very young that we got from an old friend. However, a few years ago, I developed some new food philosophies and such and began tweaking our family favorite recipes to make them more wholesome and healthier. I did that with our banana bread recipe, which I shared awhile back. But I really wanted to bring an autumnal spin to a bread that we love. So I added pumpkin! This recipe is so lovely and scrumptious! And if you want, you can easily double this recipe and pop one in the freezer for a later date or send one to a neighbor or friend who may enjoy it as well. Either way, this is a wonderful addition to a seasonal recipe collection!
Autumn Pumpkin Banana Loaf
1 & 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 & 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cardamom
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup pumpkin puree (not the pie filling)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste, found in the baking section of the store)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or your favorite nut)
In a mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Then stir in the coconut sugar.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix just until thoroughly combined. Fold in the chopped nuts.
Pour into a greased or parchment lined loaf tin. Sprinkle a few extra chopped pecans on top for good measure.
Bake at 350*F for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool slightly before slicing and enjoying!
*Note: You can substitute the applesauce for 1 stick of melted butter, if you desire.*