Carrot Cake Banana Bread (Printable)

A moist, flavorful loaf combining carrot cake spices with tender banana bread sweetness.

# 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
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

→ Add-Ins

15 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
16 - 1/2 cup raisins

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease thoroughly.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add grated carrots, brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until fully combined.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix.
05 - Fold in nuts and raisins if desired.
06 - Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and smooth the top evenly.
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 - Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is somewhere between cake and bread, moist and tender without being heavy or dense
  • You get two servings of fruit in every slice without anyone ever guessing they are eating vegetables
  • The spice combination hits all the right notes, warming and comforting but never overwhelming
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will make your bread tough and dense, so stop as soon as the dry streaks disappear
  • The toothpick test is crucial, a few moist crumbs are perfect but wet batter means more time in the oven
  • Cooling the loaf completely before slicing is the hardest part but absolutely necessary for clean, neat pieces
03 -
  • Grate your carrots finely so they almost disappear into the batter and you do not get noticeable chunks in every bite
  • Room temperature eggs and milk incorporate more easily into the batter, so take them out about twenty minutes before you start

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