Pumpkin Banana Bread

We hope in the car and head to Utah tomorrow to hang with family for the Thanksgiving week, and we couldn’t be a penny more excited.

Holidays. Family. Vacation. Yum. I love them.

Whenever we head to Utah, I always have this wicked imagining. It’s not the sort of thing a grown woman should admit to, but I’m hardly grown up. I hear you don’t actually grow up in your heart ever, so I get a free pass. Or something like that.

Anyway. I totally imagine running into my ex-boyfriends. Do you do this? Tell me you do this? You don’t. Oh, stop. You know you do.

I think a good portion of my ex-boyfriends are still in Utah, which means that, as our mid-sized SUV crosses the state line into Zion, there’s always an inkling of a chance that I could happen upon one of those boys that broke my heart. Okay, I did the heart breaking sometimes. Ugh.

Remember when we were young and willing to tear people’s hearts in half?

As the years move on, I realize that such a run-in would be less and less desirable. When I was a twenty-something mama with a bubbly baby on my hip, the idea of dishing out a bit of regret was a pleasant idea.

Ohhh, hiiiii. Me and my long eyelashes? Me and this ca-ute baby? Yeah. Too dang bad you missed out.

But as I get older and eat more chocolate cake. And homemade rolls. And pumpkin bread.

Well.

Yeah.

It’d be more like…

Ohmygosh. Hi. No. I meant I totally can breath through this tightly tucked belt. And, yeah, duh. I do my hair not in a ponytail at least once a week. It’s a big accomplishment. Whatevs.

After which I’d quickly run to the baking goods aisle of whatever store we had the ex-boyfriend-run-in, grab a bag of brown sugar, then go home and make food for my people and thank my lucky stars that I no longer have to pretend that I’m ever clever and cute and well-coiffed in order to secure a kiss at the doorstep and a second date. Good gravy.

And anyway, my people know I’m always well-coiffed, despite the occasional ponytail. And by occasional, I mean oft.

And by well-coiffed, I mean showered by noon and wearing kinda matching socks and sparkly fingernails painted by a  certain clever and cute daughter of mine.

Take that, ex-beau’s. Take that.

Pumpkin Banana Bread

laura

This combination of pumpkin and banana bread is pure genius. The finished loaf ends up tasting a bit like caramel and cinnamon, with subtle undertones of autumn and friendship. A perfect loaf to share with neighbors, friends, and cute kids over breakfast. But not ex-boyfriends. They can eat crow. 😉

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

For the bread:

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 stick butter softened
• 1 ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a large bread pan (or two medium-sized bread pans) with nonstick baking spray.
• In a stand mixer, beat together the bananas, pumpkin puress, butter, brown sugar, and eggs until very smooth. Toss in the spice, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth again. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven, turn out onto a cooling rack, and allow to cool slightly before spooning icing on top.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and maple syrup. Add just enough milk or cream to make the icing slightly runny. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the bread. Allow icing to harden before slicing into bread and indulging!
• Enjoy!

Keyword PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD