Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites

PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITES

10/20/2022

My family loves Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites – a favorite fall recipe packed with pumpkin pie spices and perfect for both special days and everyday munching! With a super-moist texture, buttery brown sugar, banana and pumpkin flavor, and incredibly soft crumb, this is our family-favorite bite size treat! This same recipe also makes perfect Pumpkin Banana Bread and Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins.

Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites

PUMMPKIN BANANA BREAD BAKING TIPS:

BAKING PANS MATTER: Dark baking pans will bake faster and create a darker top and bottom – I compensate for this by decreasing the oven temp to 325 degrees.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT BANANAS: Look for bananas that are ripe and spotted with brown “sugar spots” for the best banana flavor – the browner and riper, the better! The riper the bananas, the sweeter it is and the more moisture it will impart. If you don’t have ripe bananas, don’t make this recipe!
FROZEN BANANAS: You can use frozen bananas. Thaw at room temperature and drain off any excess liquid before using in this recipe
MASHING BANANAS: You can use your hand mixer to mash bananas! Break or slice the ripe bananas into large pieces and place in a medium bowl. Begin beating on low, then gradually increase to medium-high speed to mash the bananas completely. If you are weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale, you can easily use this bowl for the rest of the wet banana bread ingredients.
NO BUTTER: Margerine or vegetable oil is a better choice than melted butter in this recipe – you can substitute butter, but the pumpkin banana bread will not be as moist and soft. Margerine or vegetable oil will keep this bread incredibly moist and maintain a tender crumb.
USE BOTH GRANULATED SUGAR AND BROWN SUGAR: You can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for this recipe. A mixture of both brown sugar and granulated sugar makes this banana bread softer and moister!
PUMPKIN PUREE: Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree (canned or fresh) and not pumpkin pie filling – which contains other ingredients.
SUBSTITUTE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE: You can replace the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves with pumpkin pie spice blend.
WHAT ARE PEPITAS? Pumpkin seeds are also known as “pepita” — a Mexican Spanish term. Unlike the hard white seeds from a carving pumpkin, pepitas are pumpkin seeds, but they only come from certain types of pumpkins and don’t require shelling. These shell-free seeds are green, flat and oval – and perfectly pretty and so tasty! Roasted and salted pepitas are not only healthy for you, they are PERFECT in this recipe!
FOR PERFECT PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITES: One of my secrets for the best Pumpkin Banana Bread is to brush warm maple syrup or honey over the top of the warm loaves when I take them out of the oven. This seals the top and keeps the Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites SUPER moist and fresh – especially if you plan to make ahead and freeze.
HOW TO FREEZE PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITES: Cool baked banana bread bites completely. Lightly wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and place in a large freezer-friendly reusable container. Date the container and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw uncovered and unwrapped in the refrigerator.

PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD VARIETIES:

PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD MUFFINS: This recipe makes 15-18 Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins. Bake at the same oven temp for the same time.
PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD: You can prepare this as one larger Pumpkin Banana Bread – substitute a 9x5-inch loaf pan, spray with non-stick spray, and bake for 60-65 minutes, depending on your oven. You may need to cover the pan with a tent of aluminum foil (to allow the steam to escape) halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown.
EGG-FREE PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD: Replace the eggs with natural applesauce; no other modifications necessary.
PUMPKIN BANANA NUT BREAD: Stir in ¾ cup chopped nuts to the banana bread batter – either pecans or walnuts add a nice sweet taste and tender crunch.
CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITES: Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark chocolate are both wonderful!).
CINNAMON & BROWN SUGAR PUMPKIN BANANA BITES: Stir in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter, and sprinkle the top of the banana bread with a mixture of cinnamon sugar and brown sugar before baking.
PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BUNDT CAKE: Simply bake this recipe in a bundt pan that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray for 60-65 minutes. You may need to cover the top of the pan with a tent of aluminum foil (to allow steam to escape) halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown.

Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites

WHAT EXACTLY ARE PEPITAS?

Pumpkin seeds are also known as “pepita” — a Mexican Spanish term. Unlike the hard white seeds from a carving pumpkin, pepitas are pumpkin seeds, but they only come from certain types of pumpkins and don’t require shelling.

These shell-free seeds are green, flat and oval – and perfectly pretty and so tasty! Roasted and salted pepitas are not only healthy for you, they are PERFECT in this recipe!

Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites

PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITES

Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled, not scooped)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup (1 stick) Parkay margarine (melted) (or vegetable oil)
¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups (340g) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup or 100g)
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup pepita (pumpkin seeds – shelled, roasted & salted)

SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT:
Non-Stick Brownie Bite Pan (12-well Pampered Chef or Wilton) or
Muffin Pan (regular size, 12-well)

HOW I MAKE THESE:

Remove eggs from fridge and bring to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (for shiny aluminum pans) or 325 (for dark pans) and adjust rack to middle of oven. Lightly spray your individual brownie bite pan with nonstick baking spray (or line with parchment paper liners); set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until combined; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the margarine, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended.
Whisk in the pumpkin, mashed bananas and vanilla extract.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Slowly stir everything together just until no more flour pockets remain. Do not overmix!
Pour the batter evenly into the individual wells of your prepared baking pan.
Sprinkle the tops with pepita seeds.
Bake for about 18 minutes, or until the top is golden and springs back when lightly touched in the middle. A toothpick inserted in the center of an individual cake will come out clean when the Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites are done. Baking time will depend on the size of your pan, so you’ll need to watch these carefully.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely on a wire rack. I use a small spatula or fork to remove the individual cakes easily.
Store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

YIELD: 15-18 servings

PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITE VARIETIES:

PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD MUFFINS: This recipe makes 15-18 Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins. Bake at the same oven temp for the same time.
PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD: You can prepare this as one larger Pumpkin Banana Bread – substitute a 9x5-inch loaf pan, spray with non-stick spray, and bake for 60-65 minutes, depending on your oven. You may need to cover the pan with a tent of aluminum foil (to allow the steam to escape) halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown.
EGG-FREE PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD: Replace the eggs with natural applesauce; no other modifications necessary.
PUMPKIN BANANA NUT BREAD: Stir in ¾ cup chopped nuts to the banana bread batter – either pecans or walnuts add a nice sweet taste and tender crunch.
CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITES: Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark chocolate are both wonderful!).
CINNAMON & BROWN SUGAR PUMPKIN BANANA BITES: Stir in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter, and sprinkle the top of the banana bread with a mixture of cinnamon sugar and brown sugar before baking.
PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BUNDT CAKE: Simply bake this recipe in a bundt pan that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray for 60-65 minutes. You may need to cover the top of the pan with a tent of aluminum foil (to allow steam to escape) halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown.

BANANA BREAD BITE BAKING TIPS:

BAKING PANS MATTER: Dark baking pans will bake faster and create a darker top and bottom – I compensate for this by decreasing the oven temp to 325 degrees.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT BANANAS: Look for bananas that are ripe and spotted with brown “sugar spots” for the best banana flavor – the browner and riper, the better! The riper the bananas, the sweeter it is and the more moisture it will impart. If you don’t have ripe bananas, don’t make this recipe!
FROZEN BANANAS: You can use frozen bananas. Thaw at room temperature and drain off any excess liquid before using in this recipe
MASHING BANANAS: You can use your hand mixer to mash bananas! Break or slice the ripe bananas into large pieces and place in a medium bowl. Begin beating on low, then gradually increase to medium-high speed to mash the bananas completely. If you are weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale, you can easily use this bowl for the rest of the wet banana bread ingredients.
NO BUTTER: Margerine or vegetable oil is a better choice than melted butter in this recipe – you can substitute butter, but the pumpkin banana bread will not be as moist and soft. Margerine or vegetable oil will keep this bread incredibly moist and maintain a tender crumb.
USE BOTH GRANULATED SUGAR AND BROWN SUGAR: You can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for this recipe. A mixture of both brown sugar and granulated sugar makes this banana bread softer and moister!
PUMPKIN PUREE: Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree (canned or fresh) and not pumpkin pie filling – which contains other ingredients.
SUBSTITUTE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE: You can replace the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves with pumpkin pie spice blend.
WHAT ARE PEPITAS? Pumpkin seeds are also known as “pepita” — a Mexican Spanish term. Unlike the hard white seeds from a carving pumpkin, pepitas are pumpkin seeds, but they only come from certain types of pumpkins and don’t require shelling. These shell-free seeds are green, flat and oval – and perfectly pretty and so tasty! Roasted and salted pepitas are not only healthy for you, they are PERFECT in this recipe!
FOR PERFECT PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITES: One of my secrets for the best Pumpkin Banana Bread is to brush warm maple syrup or honey over the top of the warm loaves when I take them out of the oven. This seals the top and keeps the Pumpkin Banana Bread Bites SUPER moist and fresh – especially if you plan to make ahead and freeze.
HOW TO FREEZE PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD BITES: Cool baked banana bread bites completely. Lightly wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and place in a large freezer-friendly reusable container. Date the container and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw uncovered and unwrapped in the refrigerator.

Original recipe created by Snowflakes & Coffeecakes; published October 2022.

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