Everyone’s had banana bread, but have you had Gingerbread Banana Bread?! Banana bread meets gingerbread in this awesome hybrid recipe, topped with a luscious cream cheese icing. Dessert or breakfast – why choose?!
Okay, so I’m going to be posting all this week because Christmas is imminent and I want to make sure you guys all have a chance to make these awesome Christmas recipes I keep churning out. So if you were one of those people who prefer one post a week, I’m sorry, but I’m about to overload your ish. #notsorry
SO. You know how some people eat cilantro and all they taste is soap?
I am not that person. I love cilantro. It courses through my veins. It’s my life blood. I would put it on everything savory if I could.
But I, unfortunately, have that genetic defect with ginger.
Whenever ginger is in my mouth’s presence, I instantly taste soap. Or perfume.
I long for the days when I can utilize ginger’s super powers. I have stomach problems regularly, and I know how good ginger is for upset stomachs. Ginger’s good for muscle pain, which I have often since I sit at a desk or am bending down to get pans all day long. Ginger fights cancer like a little ninja root badass. Ginger helps you lose weight, ginger will fight terrorism, ginger will save the world.
Ginger, ginger, ginger! < my Brady Bunch impression of Jan
But all I taste is… soapy perfume. Blech.
But maybe because I’m weird, sometimes I can bypass the perfumey taste if it’s masked with other spices, like in this bread. However, if you love and are BFFs with ginger (show off), you can totally ramp up the ginger flavor. I GET IT, OKAY?
For me, however, this bread is just perfect. Just the right amount of spice in one moist, fluffy cake-bread topped with a lusciously smooth cream cheese icing. There is nothing better, I tell you!
Your mouth’s presence is about to be graced with greatness. Are you ready?
Gingerbread Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt I used plain, but vanilla works!
- 2 cups mashed bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3-4 tsp ground ginger depending on how spicy you want it
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4 oz box) INSTANT dry vanilla pudding mix just the powder, do NOT make the pudding
- FOR ICING:
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 9" loaf pan with cooking spray. I recommend using a metal or disposable loaf pan as I find glass ones usually cook at different times. If you only have glass, that's okay, but your bread may take less time. Place the pan on a baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter and brown sugar with a spatula until combined. Mix in the eggs and yogurt, mixing well. Add in the banana, vanilla and molasses until blended. Mix in the spices, flour, baking soda, and salt until a thick but lumpy batter forms. Fold in the pudding mix (just the dry mix). Batter should be lumpy and do NOT overmix the batter, which leads to tough bread. Just make sure it's just about combined.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and smooth out the top. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes, then tent the pan with foil and bake for another 25-35 minutes, checking at the 25 minute mark and adding time if needed. Bread will be done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.
- To make the frosting: in a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Beat in the heavy cream to combine, then the powdered sugar until a soft, thick icing forms.
- Spread the icing on top of the bread and let set, about 10 minutes, before cutting into slices.
Spicy & sweet – this bread is loaded with traditional gingerbread flavors like ginger, cloves, cinnamon and molasses – but is mixed with sweet and tropical bananas for a fun twist on a classic breakfast staple! Done up with cream cheese icing, this bread feels more dessert-like and decadent, but hey, a perfectly acceptable breakfast, too.
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
cakeSpy says
What sweet fusion! Love this quick bread concept and recipe.
Kim says
I have some extra ripe bananas waiting in the freezer for a great recipe. It looks like I just found it!
Miranda says
Gingerbread and banana bread sounds like such a fun combination of flavors! Yum!
Kathy says
I just can’t deal with instant pudding. It’s right up there with Cool Whip on my list of things I’ll never use! Everything else sounds fabulous & I’d love to try this. Is it’s purpose only for flavor or does it change the texture? I can add more vanilla for flavor. Thoughts? Thanks so much!
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Kathy! I understand that instant pudding can be a little polarizing. Its purpose in this recipe is to impart a wonderful moistness and fluffiness to the bread. You do NOT taste the vanilla flavoring from the pudding. I have made this bread having accidentally forgotten the pudding and it turns out just fine 🙂
Debi says
This sounds wonderful! I’m going to substitute the banana for pumpkin since I don’t have bananas on hand. Gingerbread pumpkin loaf sounds rather good right now up here in Ontario Canada on a very snowy, cold morning!
Patrice says
Haylie- I’m not tech savvy about some things.. Is this what’s called ‘A Blog’ ? How does one sign up to get regular posts? You make me laugh! I need this daily!! P
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Patrice! Yep, this is my little ol’ blog! 🙂 So glad you found me! To sign up, enter your email to the little pink banner at the top of the home page (on desktop). <3
Susan G says
What a great recipe and so unique. Everyone at my office just loved it! As a cook who loves to try new recipes, I must say I’m perplexed by folks who think a recipe looks so good and then proceeds to ask if they can change or substitute almost everything in the recipe. If the recipe looks good then make it as is then if you want to make changes do so but know it will lose the original flavor. At any rate, I made this recipe as is and don’t plan to change a thing…
Susan G.
Liz Southers says
This bread was Ok. Came out a little stiff and too much ginger!! I only put 2.5-3 tsp and it was too heavy.. I left out the vanilla pudding because I didn’t have any on hand, maybe that would have made a difference.
Dawn says
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!!! Very flexible… I didn’t even use the butter and only used half of the brown sugar AND left off frosting… and everyone loves it!!!!
thedomesticrebel says
Yay, I am so glad you enjoy it, Dawn!
Lamona Maxwell says
I don’t have vanilla pudding, can I use sour cream instead?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Lamona, you can omit the pudding mix – this already has Greek yogurt in it.