With ripe bananas, shredded carrot and pineapple all topped with a rich cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts, this carrot cake banana bread is simply dreamy! So completely satisfying with your favourite cup of tea or coffee. It’s a quick bread recipe you’ll want to make again and again!
If you’re in need of a little sweet, have I got the thing for you!
Carrot cake meets banana bread in this super easy, moist and delicious carrot cake banana bread (with cream cheese frosting, may I add!)
I just love making flavoured banana breads. I mean, banana bread is delicious on its own, but it’s always fun to mix in other flavours. Why not, right?
This loaf cake or quick bread is not overly banana-y or overly sweet. What it is, though, is downright delicious.
And, if you’re like me (and my mother-in-law), you always have a few ‘beyond their prime’ bananas sitting on your counter.
My mother-in-law is particularly funny. She’s not a huge fan of eating bananas as they are, but always has to have them in her home. For guests, maybe? Or perhaps it’s for a yummy carrot banana cake, like this one.
Fan of carrot cake? Check out these carrot cake donuts!
Why We Love Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Great way to use overripe bananas
- You get the best of both worlds: carrot cake and banana bread (no deciding which one to make)
- No big mixer required to make the bread itself (just a couple of bowls)
- It’s prepped in about 10 minutes and the hardest part is waiting for it to bake
- Tastes incredible!
How to Make It
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Start by mixing your dry ingredients together in one bowl.
- In another bowl, mash your ripe bananas.
- To mashed bananas, mix in sugar, shredded carrot, oil, pineapple, yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Combine the flour mixture with your banana mixture.
- Pour into a prepared loaf pan.
- Bake and let your loaf cool a little before removing out of the pan and fully cooling on a cooling rack.
- Prepare your cream cheese frosting.
- Spread frosting over cooled bread and add some walnuts (if you like).
- Enjoy!
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Should I Refrigerate This Bread?
Because of the cream cheese frosting, store the loaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.
Do I Have to Use Frosting?
Not at all!
You can enjoy this carrot banana bread as is. It’ll still taste delicious.
The cream cheese frosting is just the icing on the cake or, um, banana bread.
More Recipe Tips and Variations
Don’t frost your carrot cake banana bread until it has completely cooled!
This is not an overly sweet loaf (in my opinion). Feel free to add another ¼ cup of sugar in the batter if you like things a little sweeter.
Walnuts are totally optional. You can leave out if you like.
Speaking of nuts, don’t have walnuts? Try chopped pecans instead.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
Hope you love this easy quick bread as much as we do!
If you make this carrot cake banana bread, be sure to leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed!
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Carrot Cake Banana Bread
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon into measuring cup and level off with a butter knife)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup mashed bananas (from about 2 small ripe bananas)
- ¾ to 1 cup granulated sugar (see 'Notes' below, point '1')
- 1 ¼ cup shredded carrot (from about 2 carrots)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup chopped canned pineapple (chopped into small cubes)
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting and Optional Garnish
- ¾ package cream cheese , softened (¾ of a 250 gram package or 6 ounces)
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts (garnish, optional)
Instructions
Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In another bowl, mash bananas.
- To bananas, add sugar, carrot, vegetable oil, pineapple, yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine.
- Combine dry ingredients (flour mixture) with wet ingredients (banana mixture), mixing until there's no dry flour left (but don't overmix).
- Grease a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray. Line loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing some to overhang over the sides (this makes the loaf easier to remove once baked). Grease parchment paper.
- Pour banana bread mixture into the prepared pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the centre of the bread comes out clean.Note: Because pans and ovens can vary, check on at the 55 minute mark. If it's not done, continue baking until it is.
- Allow bread to cool 10 minutes in pan before removing and allowing to fully cool on a cooling rack.
- Once bread is fully cooled, spread over frosting and garnish with walnuts (if using). Slice and enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine all ingredients (except walnuts) in a mixing bowl and blend with a hand mixer (on medium-high speed) until combined and fluffy.
Notes
- I often make this bread with just ¾ cup of sugar and find that it’s just right for me and not too sweet. If you prefer things a little sweeter (but still not too sweet), opt for the full 1 cup.
- Time does not include cooling of the bread.
- Don’t frost your carrot cake banana bread until it has completely cooled!
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 Serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Loving the combination of carrot with banana! Looks perfect and love the frosting 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Jennifer. It’s a yummy one for sure!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
This is such an incredible mashup, Dawn! Best of both worlds, and I’m here for it! 🙂 Delicious!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Yay! Happy to hear it! Thanks Michelle!
Valentina
Oh yes, I will certainly have this with my morning coffee. Such a delicious blend of flavors — like two cakes in one! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
For sure! Thanks so much!
David @ Spiced
This recipe combines two of my favorites – banana bread and carrot cake. Growing up, we always had a loaf of banana bread on the counter, and I still have fond memories of the smell of freshly baked loaves in the oven. Now I’m going to have to see what the smell of a freshly baked carrot cake banana bread smells like!!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Yay! Thanks David! Hope you love it as much as we do!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
This would fly off the table at our house Dawn! Looks similar to a hummingbird cake we make. I can’t wait to give your recipe a try!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks Mary Ann! Hope you enjoy!
Marissa
This recipe is pure genius, Dawn! I saw this on Instagram and had to come straight over to check out the recipe. Such a perfect bread for weekend and holiday breakfasts!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks a bunch, Marissa!! It sure is!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
Can I just say you’re brilliant! Carrot cake and banana bread all in one! Two of my favorites and since it’s a bread, it’s totally okay for breakfast! 😉
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Aww, you’re too kind!! Thanks Kathy…and I love the way you think!