Carrot Cake Banana Bread (Printable)

A tender loaf blending carrot cake spices with sweet banana flavors.

# What You'll 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)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly. Add grated carrots, brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until fully incorporated.
04 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, 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 evenly with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs are acceptable.
08 - Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture impossibly lands somewhere between cake and bread, tender but substantial enough to toast
  • Those warming spices make it feel cozy regardless of the season outside your window
  • It uses up the sad bananas sitting on your counter that nobody wants to eat plain
02 -
  • Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The toothpick test matters here, underbaking leaves a gummy center but overbaking dries out the delicate crumb
  • Cooling completely before slicing is torture but cutting into warm bread makes it gummy and dense
03 -
  • Grate your carrots by hand instead of using food processor shreds which can be too coarse
  • Let the batter rest in the pan for five minutes before baking to help it rise more evenly

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