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November 26, 2012 27 Comments

Pumpkin Banana Bread (lightened up, 100% whole wheat)

Technically, it is still “pumpkin” season since we are still in November and this recipe is just too amazing to not share with you all.DSC_0261_485


Before I forget, hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  This year I flew out to California to spend the holidays with my sister, niece, and nephew.  The 4 of us and my parents headed to my brother-in-law’s side of the family’s home for Thanksgiving where we enjoyed lots of great food and company.  A special thanks to R & D for hosting all of us and for your warm hospitality.  Everything from the wine to the turkey to the sides to the desserts were amazing.


View album

Thanksgiving

  
And now, to share with you a Pumpkin Banana Bread recipe I recently made.  My friend, Jhiane, came over while I was moping around at home one day, and instead of sulking I baked to feel better, and in turn I made Jhiane very, very happy!  She devoured this dessert.  Apparently, my sorrow turns into her gain, but I’m glad someone was around to enjoy it.  🙂 DSC_0252_476


The bread itself contains no oil or butter, and yet it tasted delicious, however the cream cheese frosting on top does contain a little butter.  If fat is not an issue, I highly recommend enjoying this delicious bread with a dollop of frosting because frosting just makes everything in life better.DSC_0278_502


After baking this delicious Pumpkin Banana Bread, I was extremely surprised as to how moist this bread tasted, in fact it tasted less like a bread and more like cake to both Jhiane and I.    DSC_0221_445


So before November is officially up, bake this wonderful bread/cake for your family, it’s the perfect start to a day, or the perfect end to a night with a cup of tea.  This incredibly delicious Pumpkin Banana Bread tastes best when served warm with a dollop of cream cheese melting on top, or just microwave the bread for 15 seconds before serving.  Heavenly. DSC_0277_501

NUTRITION:
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is an excellent source of Protein and Fiber.  Pumpkin is rich in Vitamin A and Fiber.  Bananas are a very good source of Vitamin B6.  They are also a good source of Vitamin C and Fiber.  Pecans contain natural antioxidants and are heart-healthy nuts known to lower cholesterol.

APPROXIMATE NUTRITION PER SERVING (yields 10 slices):for a healthier version, skip the cream cheese frosting.

  • Calories: 314 cals  (without frosting – 264) 
  • Fat: 10 g  (without frosting – 6.7) 
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g  (without frosting – 0.9)
  • Carbs: 67 g  (without frosting – 63) 
  • Protein: 4.6 g  (without frosting – 4)
  • Fiber: 5.2 g  (without frosting – 5.2)


PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD
(REDUCED FAT) (slightly modified the original’s @ Confessions of a Chocoholic)

~ yields 10 slices @ 350 degrees using a loaf pan 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Whole Wheat Pastry Flour – 1 2/3 cup
  • Baking Soda – 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon – 3/4 tsp
  • Ginger Powder – 1/8 tsp
  • Nutmeg – 1/8 tsp
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp
  • Sugar in the Raw’s Turbinado Brown Sugar – 1 cup
  • Egg – 1
  • Libby’s Pure Pumpkin – 3/4 cup
  • Ripe Bananas – 3 1/2 (medium size & mashed)
  • Sour Cream – 2 tbsp
  • Pure Vanilla – 1 tsp
  • Spiced Rum – 1/4 cup or 2 oz.
  • Pecans – 2/3 cup (roughly chopped)


CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (reduced fat)
:


INGREDIENTS:

  • Unsalted Butter – 2 tbsp
  • Neufchatel Cream Cheese – 2 ounces
  • Vanilla – 1/2 tsp
  • Confectioners Sugar – 1/4 to 1/3 cup


DIRECTIONS:

1. Start by preheating the oven at 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.Aloo_Kati_Roll_182
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl… flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger powder, and salt.  Mix and set aside. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and sugar.  Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium to high speed for 10 minutes, YES, 10 minutes. 
4. This is what you should have.  Notice the mixture is a bit grainy since I used turbinado brown sugar, if you choose to use white sugar, the sugar crystals will dissolve more easily.
5. In the meantime, mash the bananas.
6. Now add the bananas, pumpkin, sour cream, vanilla, and spiced rum to the wet mixture. 
7. Mix until all the ingredients are well blended.
8. Chop the pecans.
9. Add the dry ingredients and the pecans.

10. Fold, DO NOT MIX, fold the ingredients in.
11. Pour into the baking tray.

12. Into the oven for at least 45 minutes.  I baked mine for 55-60 minutes, but careful the top of the cake does not burn.  This will vary based on your oven.
13. Make the cream cheese frosting by combining all 4 ingredients… butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners sugar.
pizza 086

14. Wait 10 minutes before serving so the bread settles.  Top with a dollop of cream cheese frosting.  So incredibly delicious, I can’t believe each slice is packed with so much nutrition.  Enjoy! DSC_0214_438


OVERALL RATING: 5 / 5 

Quite honestly, there is absolutely nothing I would change about this cake.  The original recipe calls for white flour and sugar, however I used whole wheat and turbinado brown sugar, respectively.  In addition, I used pecans instead of walnuts simply because I prefer the combination of pumpkin and pecans.  Just a note, when you eat the bread straight out of the oven, it may seem a bit gooey in the center, this happened despite baking the cake for an additional 10-15 minutes, this is normal.  The bread will eventually settle down.  Delicious cake that should be everyone’s “go-to” recipe for bread.  Thanks Bianca for an awesome recipe.  I can’t wait to make this bread for my mom, she will love it.


TELL ME: Have was your THANKSGIVING?  What did you eat?  




Recipes You Will Love:

Spiced Rum Banana Nut Bread with Coconut Rum Cream Cheese Glaze (lightened up, 100% whole wheat) Pumpkin Oatmeal Sweet Potato Bread (100% whole wheat, healthier) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (100% whole wheat, healthier dessert)

Filed Under: Healthy-ish Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: Recipes

Previous Post: « Healthy Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pie Pancakes… post-Thanksgiving morning!
Next Post: Friday’s Favorite Things – 11.30.12 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The Squishy Monster says

    November 26, 2012 at 5:48 am

    oooooh, I love the addition of pumpkin and spiced rum in this =)

    Reply
  2. Khushboo says

    November 26, 2012 at 7:36 am

    Yummy! I love subbing oil/butter with pumpkin/applesauce in baked goods…they add such a moist texture that you don't even miss the fat! My Thanksgiving didn't involve the whole feast but it did include my first ever slice of pumpkin pie…I'm a big fan :)!

    Hope you had a great weekend, Nisha!

    Reply
  3. Dixya says

    November 26, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    seems like you had a great time in Cali with your family 🙂 the bread looks so moist, I am starting to deviate from pumpkin now and ready for cranberries.

    Reply
  4. Roha says

    November 26, 2012 at 3:27 pm

    Yummy..!!

    First time here 🙂 You have very nice collection of recipe Glad to follow you..:)

    Reply
  5. Pam says

    November 26, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    I wish I had a slice with my coffee right now.

    Reply
  6. Parita says

    November 26, 2012 at 6:08 pm

    This sounds fantastic! VERY comforting! I could even see eating this as part of breakfast with a cup of coffee. You're giving me ideas… 🙂

    Reply
  7. Ameena says

    November 26, 2012 at 9:43 pm

    Hope you are having a great time in California! Let me know if you need any more suggestions…

    Reply
  8. Eat & Burpp says

    November 27, 2012 at 4:40 am

    It actually looks so moist & truly appeals the taste buds 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Asmita says

    November 27, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    OMG,
    This looks so delicious! I can finish off the whole loaf all by myself. Yummy!

    Reply
  10. Sanzibell says

    November 27, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    yummi, sieht super lecker aus ♥

    Lieben Gruß

    Sarah
    http://www.sanzibell.com

    Reply
  11. Jen @ The Scrumptious Pumpkin says

    November 27, 2012 at 6:50 pm

    Love that this bread is so healthy because I'm not sure I could resist going back for a second (and third) slice – this looks moist and delicious 🙂

    Reply
  12. Kitchen Queen says

    November 27, 2012 at 7:04 pm

    lovely moist bread.

    Reply
  13. Cathleen says

    November 28, 2012 at 3:33 am

    What a combination of ingredients! Wow, I would love some of this right now!

    Reply
  14. GlamorousGirl says

    November 27, 2012 at 8:06 pm

    great!

    Reply
  15. eatgood4life.blogspot.com says

    November 28, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    More pumpkin recipes? Nice. I might have to try this one as well. I am actually going to make another batch of the pancakes tomorrow but this time I am tripling the batch to have some frozen 🙂

    For thanksgiving we had honey sesame chicken with brown rice and salad as well as some cranberry coffee cake, no turkey for us 🙂

    Reply
  16. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 7:28 am

    @eatgood4life – You will love this recipe since it's healthy and yummy at the same time. Wow, another batch of pancakes. Didn't know you could freeze the batter. THat's awesome. Your Thanksgiving menu sounds nice, I love chicken over turkey. 🙂

    Reply
  17. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 7:29 am

    @Cathleen – it is delicious.. you wouldn't be sorry. 🙂

    Reply
  18. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 7:29 am

    @Jen – this cake is moist and delicious.. I don't feel guilty going back for seconds, but it's so filling too.

    Reply
  19. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 7:30 am

    @Asmita – haha.. that makes 2 of us.

    Reply
  20. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 7:32 am

    @Eat & Burpp – thank you. it is so moist. 🙂

    Reply
  21. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 7:38 am

    @Ameena – thanks so much for the suggestions, although we just hung out by the Pier.

    Reply
  22. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 8:07 am

    @Parita – it is very comforting. Loved having this with a cup of coffee & tea.

    Reply
  23. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 8:09 am

    @Roha – thank you. That's very nice of you to say.

    Reply
  24. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 8:19 am

    @Dixya – cranberries sound nice this time of year, and apples too.

    Reply
  25. honeywhatscooking says

    November 29, 2012 at 8:38 am

    @Khushboo – I'm so glad you finally tried Pumpkin Pie, it's just so good. I love replacing fat with applesauce/yogurt.. adds so much moisture. 🙂

    Reply
  26. Guru Uru says

    November 29, 2012 at 6:30 pm

    Mmmm this bread looks perfect my friend you would fool me with reduced fat 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  27. honeywhatscooking says

    November 30, 2012 at 5:59 am

    @GuruUru – thanks, I think it's even better than reduced-fat, healthier. 🙂

    Reply

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About Me

A foodie who is passionate about living a healthy-ish lifestyle, cooking, and traveling. You'll find a mix of everything here and lots of seasonal content. I moved from Jersey City leaving behind my family & friends to beautiful Southern California for love. I'm adjusting to the laid-back SoCal lifestyle and learning a lot about myself along the way. Come join me on a soul searching journey and I'll tell YOU "what's cooking" through my love for food, fashion, and travel.

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