Carrot Cake Banana Bread (Print View)
Moist loaf spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, blending grated carrots and ripe bananas into a tender breakfast or dessert treat.
# 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 Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease thoroughly with cooking spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, mash bananas thoroughly. Add grated carrots, brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula. Mix just until no dry streaks remain; avoid overmixing to prevent dense texture.
05 - Fold in chopped nuts and raisins if desired, distributing evenly throughout batter.
06 - Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Use spatula to smooth top evenly.
07 - Bake for 50-55 minutes until toothpick inserted into center emerges mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are acceptable).
08 - Let loaf rest in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing for clean cuts.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The texture impossibly manages to be both dense like banana bread and tender like cake
- It secretly sneaks vegetables into breakfast without anyone complaining
- The whole house smells like a bakery while it bakes
02 -
- Overmixing will make the bread tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
- The toothpick test is your friend here, underbaked center is sad but overbaked dry bread is tragic
- Letting it cool completely before slicing is the hardest part but makes for cleaner cuts
03 -
- Grate your carrots by hand instead of buying pre grated for better moisture retention
- Room temperature ingredients prevent the batter from separating