Carrot Banana Bread — EASY, no-mixer, super soft banana carrot bread that reminds me of carrot cake but healthier!! Great Easter brunch idea or spring baked good!
Table of Contents
I have every possible combination of carrot + apple + zucchini + blueberry + banana quick bread. Or so I thought. But I don’t have this combo.
Springtime and Easter make me think of carrot cake, which I love, but since I have multiple recipes for it I wanted to change things up a bit.
Enter: this super moist, springy, tender banana carrot bread. It’s bread that reminds me of cake and I’m not complaining.
This carrot cake banana bread is an easy, no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes. I use oil rather than butter and there’s no butter to cream and no mixer to dirty. Oil keeps bread softer and springier than butter and I prefer it.
Recipe Ingredients
To make this banana carrot cake bread recipe, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Canola oil
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Grated carrots
- Ripe bananas
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Can I Add Mix-Ins?
You probably can add mix-ins like raisins or chopped walnuts, but I haven’t tried it myself.
How to Make Carrot Banana Bread
This carrot cake bread recipe is very similar to your typical banana bread. Here are the basic steps:
- Whisk together the wet ingredients and the two kinds of sugar, then stir in the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the mashed bananas and grated carrots last.
- Turn the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Let the banana carrot bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a wire rack.
Tips for Making This Recipe
Spices: For an even more pronounced carrot cake flavor, you can add some cinnamon and nutmeg to the banana bread batter. And I bet a cream cheese glaze would taste amazing drizzled on top of this loaf!
Bake time: Because both carrots and bananas have lots of moisture and if your bread takes longer (or shorter) than the time estimates I gave for baking, don’t worry. Bake until it’s done.
Freezing: Note that this banana carrot bread freezes incredibly well. You can freeze the entire loaf or slice and freeze individual servings.
Storage Instructions
Room temperature: Let cool completely, then wrap in foil or seal in a zip-top bag. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week
Freezer: Wrap in plastic wrap and foil or seal in a freezer bag. Bread will keep up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw on your countertop for 1 to 2 hours.
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Carrot Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cup sour cream, lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional if necessary (see step 4 in directions)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 cup coarsely grated carrots, laid loosely in cup and not packed (don’t wring out)
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, from about 2 medium/large bananas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- To a large bowl, add the the first six ingredients, through vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Add the carrots (grate them on the coarsest blade of a box grater), bananas, and stir to combine. The batter should be quick thick but because all carrots and bananas vary in their moisture content, you may need to add 1/4 cup additional flour. If in doubt, add flour.
- Turn batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 53 to 63 minutes (I baked 60 minutes) or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Tip – Tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over it at the 45 minute-mark to prevent top and sides from becoming overly browned before center cooks through. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of carrots, bananas, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock and don’t worry if it takes longer to bake than the baking estimates provided.
- Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Adapted from Carrot Apple Bread, Blueberry Zucchini Bread, and Zucchini Banana Bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Carrot Cake Recipes:
ALL OF MY CARROT CAKE-INSPIRED RECIPES.
Spiced Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — A tender and moist classic two-layer carrot cake with tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting! For anyone who loves carrot cake, this cake looks and tastes so impressive but is EASY to make!
Salted Caramel Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – Soft, tender carrot cake infused with salted caramel sauce and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting is the ULTIMATE in decadence!
Carrot Apple Bread — Carrot cake with apples added and baked as a bread so it’s healthier! Super moist, packed with flavor, fast and easy!
Carrot Zucchini Bread — Fast, easy, one bowl, no mixer!! Super soft, moist, and tastes so good you’ll forget it’s on the healthier side!
Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting – Soft, moist carrot cake that’s baked as a loaf. So much faster & easier than baking a cake!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting – My favorite foolproof recipe for soft, moist, flavorful carrot cake cupcakes!
Soft Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Glaze — Super soft bars that taste like blondies packed with chewy carrots!
Soft and Chew Carrot Oatmeal Cookies — All the flavors of richly spiced carrot cake, but in cookie form! Soft, chewy, extremely moist, and not at all cakey.
Can you use frozen bananas in this recipe instead of fresh bananas?
I’ve never tried it that way. I worry a bit they could be too moist/wet but I have never baked with frozen banana that I thaw. Only made smoothies so I really don’t know. If you try, LMK how it works.
I have been trying many different banana bread recipes in an attempt to find one as good as my late dear mother’s. While hers was not carrot banana bread, this is the closest to the texture and moisture that I was looking for. I did use the yogurt instead of sour cream. It is wonderful! Definitely, the best I’ve made, so far. Thank you for this great recipe. I can’t wait to make it again! Waiting for my bananas to ripen…
I have been trying many different banana bread recipes in an attempt to find one as good as my late dear mother’s. While hers was not carrot banana bread, this is the closest to the texture and moisture that I was looking for. I did use the yogurt instead of sour cream. It is wonderful! Definitely, the best I’ve made, so far. Thank you for this great recipe. I can’t wait to make it again! Waiting for my bananas to ripen…
Thanks for the 5 star review and it’s lovely for me to hear that my recipe lives up to what your mom used to make (although different) because it’s always hard to compare to a mother or grandmother’s cooking and our memories of it, so this is very high praise and thank you!
Love this recipe I add dates and raisins soaked in rum. Top with sliced almonds
Love this recipe I add dates and raisins soaked in rum. Top with sliced almonds
Thanks for the 5 star review and I love your idea of soaking dates and raisins in rum and adding them!
OMG. Best bread ever. So moist. I’ve tried many of your quick breads, Averie and they are always amazing. Your my go- to for baking.
OMG. Best bread ever. So moist. I’ve tried many of your quick breads, Averie and they are always amazing. Your my go- to for baking.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is a big winner for you!
Just wanted to tell you that this is hands down THE BEST banana bread recipe I’ve found. And I’ve tried SO many! This is the only recipe I’ve used where the bread is baked evenly throughout and the middle is just as perfect as the outer parts. Can’t even tell there’s carrots in it if you didn’t look at it. My oven bakes on the hot side and it was perfect at 45 minutes. It came out looking and tasting a little crispy on the edge (couldn’t wait for it to cool completely) but once it sat overnight, it softened up and wasn’t crispy at all. Won’t be making any other recipe ever again. Thank you.
Just wanted to tell you that this is hands down THE BEST banana bread recipe I’ve found. And I’ve tried SO many! This is the only recipe I’ve used where the bread is baked evenly throughout and the middle is just as perfect as the outer parts. Can’t even tell there’s carrots in it if you didn’t look at it. My oven bakes on the hot side and it was perfect at 45 minutes. It came out looking and tasting a little crispy on the edge (couldn’t wait for it to cool completely) but once it sat overnight, it softened up and wasn’t crispy at all. Won’t be making any other recipe ever again. Thank you.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s hands down the best banana bread recipe you’ve found and that you’re going to be loyal to my recipe – thanks!
This loaf cake was absolutly delish!
This loaf cake was absolutly delish!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it turned out amazing!
The bread was delicious!I loved the carrot and banana combo, and it was very moist. I used greek yogurt (plain) instead of sour cream, and added 1/4 cup walnuts, with cream cheese glaze. Also, substituted 1/4 white flour with whole wheat, and it was still moist.
The bread was delicious!I loved the carrot and banana combo, and it was very moist. I used greek yogurt (plain) instead of sour cream, and added 1/4 cup walnuts, with cream cheese glaze. Also, substituted 1/4 white flour with whole wheat, and it was still moist.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious!
Only had 1 over ripe banana and 2 carrots so added 1/2 a chopped peeled apple. Otherwise stayed with the recipe and it turned out delicious! Frosted it and put walnuts on top…yummm!
Only had 1 over ripe banana and 2 carrots so added 1/2 a chopped peeled apple. Otherwise stayed with the recipe and it turned out delicious! Frosted it and put walnuts on top…yummm!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it turned out great!
I love the flavour of carrot and banana.. Surely it will be my fav then