This easy one bowl vegan pumpkin banana bread is delicious, moist and topped with optional chocolate chips so you can use up those ripe bananas, and enjoy a healthier dessert!
Move your rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (moving rack to the center allows the pumpkin bread to cook evenly, without burning).
Start by combining the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl: 2 ripe, mashed bananas, 1 cup of pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, ⅓ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of avocado oil, and ¼ cup of orange juice. Don't over mix!
Sift 1¾ cups of all purpose flour along with 1 teaspoon each of baking soda, ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon of salt into the mixing bowl. Use a silicon spatula to gently mix - don't overmix, it's okay if there are a few clumps! Add ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and fold them in to the mix.
Add a teaspoon of oil to a 9 x 5 loaf pan and spread it evenly. Cut a piece of parchment paper and line the loaf pan (the oil will help it stick, but you can also use binder clips to hold the parchment paper in place).
Pour your pumpkin batter into the loaf pan and smooth it out so it's even. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes, then insert a toothpick to check whether the bread is fully cooked. If it's fully cooked, a toothpick or knife inserted will come out clean. Check every 5 minutes after the 60 minute mark (oven temperatures can significantly vary - the same loaf took me 65 minutes in my oven, and 75 minutes at a friend's oven, following the exact same recipe!)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely for about 10-15 minutes. Lift the parchment paper out of the loaf pan, and slice the bread. Enjoy hot!
Notes
To make it gluten-free, I've found that oat flour works best. You can also use regular gluten-free baking flour.
If you don't have bananas or prefer not to use them, you can substitute the bananas for 2 large eggs.
Either fresh or storebought pumpkin puree can be used in this recipe. I like using Libby's pumpkin puree since I find it has optimum sweetness and texture!
This bread stores well in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen for a month or two! Make sure to move the bread to the fridge the night before, and bring to room temperature before serving.
You can substitute the spices mentioned with 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead.
If you don't have a loaf pan, the recipe as written will also make 16 pumpkin chocolate chip muffins! You only need to bake for about 20-25 minutes at the same temperature - check after the 20 minute mark (in five minute intervals) to make you don't overbake!