Carrot Banana Bread Recipe
Carrot banana bread made with fresh shredded carrots, walnuts, and ripe bananas. Mix everything together and bake in the oven.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
Banana Bread
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3 medium ripe bananas mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded carrots about 2 large carrots
- ½ cup chopped walnuts plus more for garnish
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until no streaks remain. Fold in the shredded carrots and walnuts until evenly distributed.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 65–70 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. You may need to tent the bread during the last 15 minutes to prevent too much browning.
- Let the banana bread cool completely in the pan. Meanwhile, whisk together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread the frosting over the cooled banana bread and sprinkle with more walnuts on top.
Notes
My Top Tip: Make sure to soften the butter before creaming it with the sugar, but avoid melting it. Soft butter helps the fat blend more evenly into the batter, resulting in a moister loaf.
Storage: The bread will keep for around 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container.
Freezing: This bread freezes really well and will keep for up to 3 months. Wrap it in parchment or plastic wrap and store it in a freezer bag. You can either freeze individual slices or the whole loaf.
This recipe has been updated in March 2026, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here and in the recipe video (updated recipe uses an extra banana instead of applesauce and pecans instead of walnuts):
Cooking spray
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup Danish Creamery Unsalted European butter, softened
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 medium ripe bananas mashed (about 1 cup)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup carrots, shredded, about 2 1/2 medium
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the bananas, applesauce, and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix until no streaks remain. Fold in carrots and pecans until combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cooking spray
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup Danish Creamery Unsalted European butter, softened
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 medium ripe bananas mashed (about 1 cup)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup carrots, shredded, about 2 1/2 medium
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the bananas, applesauce, and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix until no streaks remain. Fold in carrots and pecans until combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 2089IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg
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