Pumpkin Banana Bread

I don't care how clichéd pumpkins are in the fall.  You bet your latte I'm loading up on the canned orange stuff as soon as September hits.  I don't really cook with it throughout the rest of the year, so during the fall months I like to make a point to incorporate it into meals for my husband (who thinks he doesn't like pumpkin), the kids (who don't always take to novel vegetables), and the dog (yep, it's good for them).  Today was actually our Newf's birthday, so he got some pumpkin peanut butter dog treats.  The kids got to roll out the dough and be all messy and I didn't have to worry about how "interpretive" their cookie cutting skills were because our slobbery boy definitely doesn't care!  

But when we were finished with the dog treats, the rest of that can was calling to me, so I looked up Ree Drummond's recipe for Pumpkin Banana Bread.  We had a couple of bananas going black on the counter, and there's nothing I like more than using things up.  Her recipe makes two loaves, but if you're like me and own only one loaf pan (I've been meaning to buy another one but always forget), I've tweaked the recipe below so that it works for just one loaf.  I made it with pecans today, but I think this bread would also be delicious with any other nut or a handful of dark chocolate chips thrown in.  It is divine as is when it comes out of the oven, but my husband, who "doesn't like pumpkin", devoured two honkin' slices slathered with butter.  Either way, this loaf is perfect with a cup of coffee on a cozy fall morning.  

Pumpkin Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tbsp ground flax seed (optional)

1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin

2 small bananas, mashed

1/2 cup chopped pecans and/or chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º and butter your loaf pan.  Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices together in a small bowl.  In a larger  bowl, whisk sugars, oil, egg, and flax seed if using.  Stir in pumpkin and bananas, then add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir to combine.  Fold in the pecans and/or chocolate chips.  Spread batter in pan and bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then use a butter knife to run along edges and flip out onto a cooling rack.