Carrot Cake Banana Bread (Print)

Moist loaf blending carrot cake spices with sweet banana bread tenderness

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
09 - 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 medium)
10 - 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
11 - 1/4 cup neutral oil or melted butter
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - 1/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

→ Add-Ins

15 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
16 - 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until well blended. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, thoroughly mash the bananas. Add the grated carrots, brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Whisk until fully incorporated and smooth.
04 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix.
05 - Fold in the chopped nuts and raisins if desired, distributing evenly throughout the batter.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top surface with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
07 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
08 - Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly moist, staying fresh for days unlike regular banana bread that can dry out
  • You get all the warming comfort of carrot cake but in an easy breakfast format that feels less indulgent
  • The grated carrots melt into the crumb, adding natural sweetness without any vegetable taste
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy here, once the flour is incorporated, put down the spoon or you'll end up with a tough, rubbery loaf
  • Room temperature ingredients incorporate more easily, so pull those eggs and milk out about 20 minutes before you start
  • The toothpick test matters, but a few moist crumbs are your friend, a completely clean pick means overbaked bread
03 -
  • Grate your carrots by hand using the fine side of a box grater, the food processor makes them too chunky
  • If you can't find perfectly ripe bananas, roast them in their skins at 350°F for 15 minutes to concentrate the sugars
  • Let the bread cool completely before wrapping for storage, trapping that moisture while warm creates soggy bread

Go Back