Description
This Thanksgiving Gingerbread Banana Bread is a cozy and festive twist on classic banana bread, infused with warm gingerbread spices and topped with a sweet glaze and holiday sprinkles. Perfect for holiday breakfasts, snacks, or dessert, this moist bread brings seasonal flavors together in a delightful loaf.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 medium)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 5 teaspoons milk
- Holiday sprinkles
Other
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon sugar (for greasing the pan)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over it. Tap the pan gently to coat the entire surface with the sugar mixture.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract, eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, and molasses. Beat again until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and ground allspice. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet banana mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Fill the Pan and Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing out the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a long skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the Bread: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, carefully flip the bread out of the pan onto the wire rack or a plate to cool completely.
- Prepare and Add Glaze: While the bread cools, stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth to create the glaze. Pour and spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cooled bread, then decorate with holiday sprinkles as desired.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for the best natural sweetness and moist texture.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once you add the flour to keep the bread tender.
- The molasses adds depth and iconic gingerbread flavor but can be substituted with dark corn syrup if needed.
- If you prefer a less sweet glaze, reduce the powdered sugar or drizzle lightly.
- Store leftover bread covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
