Maybe 2020 was the year of banana bread… but every year pumpkin spice comes back into style the second the temperature drops below 70 degrees and I’m here to proclaim my love for the both of them. Shamelessly, every year I bring pumpkin back in like I haven’t had it in years, and stock my cabinet for months. Meanwhile, pumpkin spice lives in my spice cabinet year round because when the craving calls baby, it CALLS. And this weekend it called me, AND the temperature was below 70 degrees which officially meant it was time to kick off the pumpkin baking.
I’m starting off slow and just dipping a toe in with this pumpkin spice chocolate chip banana bread! It’s filled with brown butter, pumpkin spice, chocolate chips, ripe bananas, and topped off with walnuts and even more chocolate. And boy is it tasty and the most perfect way to welcome Fall into the air.
This banana bread is super moist with a really nice rise. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it if you love banana bread and Fall just as much as I do! It is perfect for a midday treat or a fun weekend breakfast to enjoy with a cup of coffee. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do! Recipe tips, suggestions and substitutions are below. 🙂 Oh, and if you don’t like pumpkin spice…. I got you – you totally can still make this bread!
But I don’t like walnuts…
Not a problem! Feel free to replace the walnuts with another nut or mix-in, or you can omit them completely since they just get baked over top of the bread! Pecans or extra chocolate chips would work well.
How do I brown butter?
Browning butter is a very simple process that takes just about 5 minutes, but adds a whole load of flavor and depth to whatever you use it in. To brown the butter for this pumpkin spice banana bread, simply add the stick of butter to a saucepan over low-medium heat on the stovetop. Continuously stir the butter in the pan as it is melting. Once the butter has melted down completely, it will start to simmer and become bubbly / frothy over top. During this process, continue stirring the butter. It will become fragrant and turn a light brown color. At this point, you’ve successfully browned butter! Just set it aside and let it cool down. 🙂
I accidentally added in all the chocolate chips and walnuts into the bread and didn’t save any for the top…
Oops! No worries, though. Your banana bread will just be slightly more chocolatey… could be worse, right?! Just bake for an extra minute or two and then check with a toothpick to ensure the bread is done.
I don’t have any pumpkin spice. Can I still make this?
Of course! If you aren’t a fan of pumpkin spice and / or just don’t have any on hand, feel free to omit completely or make your own pumpkin spice. There is plenty of flavor from the brown sugar, maple and brown butter to make this a delicious bread on it’s own without the pumpkin spice, but if you’s like to make your own pumpkin spice, below are a few great recipes.
Craving more banana bread? Look no further…
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
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