Carrot Cake Banana Bread is the best of both worlds! Super moist, perfectly sweet, and glazed to perfection - you won't be able to stop at one slice!
I don't even remember why I made this Carrot Cake Banana Bread. I'm sure it was because I had overly ripe bananas on the counter that needed to be used up.
This is what I call a recipe mash-up. Kind of like when I made my Banana Bread Brownies. I love me some banana bread and I'm constantly making different variations!
I swear, I don't know why I pick up a bunch of bananas every time I visit the grocery store. Especially during the summer months when I have an overwhelming amount of seasonal local produce. Plus, they go from yellow to spotted brown in a single day!
All the more reasons to make use of them in recipes like Banana Cream Pie, Banana Pancakes, and Banana Upside Down Cake!
This is an especially moist banana bread recipe.
Some people like a real dense banana bread. You know the kind. So heavy and thick that a hot cup of coffee is required just to wash it down.
I much prefer a moist banana bread where no beverage is required. I used my base banana bread recipe that has been tested and eaten over and over again and basically added shredded carrots. The carrots only add moisture, texture, and that sweet carrot flavor.
Let's talk about that glaze:
This glaze is definitely stuck somewhere between a thin glaze, like what you would find on a doughnut, and a frosting. The consistency is pretty much right in the middle. It's easy to pour on but requires a little help to evenly spread out.
The reason I added the cream cheese glaze was because this quickbread loaf closely resembles carrot cake, and you just can't have carrot cake without some kind of cream cheese frosting.
Love banana bread recipes?
You'll definitely want to try these:
- Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread
- Triple Chocolate Banana Bread
- Raspberry Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Banana Bread with Walnut Streusel Topping
- Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread
- Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread
- Banana Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
- Banana Bread Brownies
Full Recipe Instructions
Carrot Cake Banana Bread
Ingredients
carrot cake banana bread:
- ½ cup butter (1 stick, softened)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup golden brown sugar
- 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
- 3 large bananas (very ripe, mashed)
- 1 cup carrot (peeled and shredded)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup walnut pieces
glaze:
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons milk (more if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or heavily grease with butter.
To make the bread:
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, bananas, carrot, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix until well combined.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add large spoonfuls of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just enough to fully incorporate. Once all of the dry ingredients have been mixed in, fold in the walnuts.
- Add batter to prepared pan and cook in preheated oven for 60 minutes. remove from oven and allow to cool in pan on cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and allow to finish cooling fully on rack.
To make the glaze:
- Using whisk attachment on stand mixer, beat cream cheese until extremely light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar until fully mixed. Stir in vanilla and milk and whisk until fully combined. If you prefer your glaze to be thinner, add more milk. Drizzle over cooled loaf.
Melanie
What size loaf pan?
Krissy
standard loaf pan
Ashlee
This looks delicious! Can't wait to try it! Your pictures look great!
Jessica
Never thought to combine the two BEST breads together into one super bread. How clever!
Haley D. Williams
Love the addition of carrots and spices to banana bread. Delicious!
Susan
I don't typically review recipes, but this was ridiculously good! I added mini chocolate chips. This was a family pleasing Easter treat.
Tisha
Carrot cake and banana bread is the perfect combo of flavors! Love this idea
Jayne
Carrot Cake and Banana bread together! Wow, life can't get any better. I will be making this weekend.