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Carrot Cake Banana Bread

Carrot cake banana bread combines spiced banana bread with shredded carrots for a golden loaf with a moist crumb. Finished with a simple cream cheese frosting layer, it’s a two-in-one bread that slices clean with visible carrot flecks.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana carrot loaf
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 medium)
  • 0.3333333333 cup butter, melted
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp ginger
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup walnuts, chopped
Cream cheese frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x5 loaf pan

Method
 

Bake the loaf
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan, then set it aside. The pan should be ready before mixing so the batter bakes right away.
  2. Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into mashed bananas until smooth and glossy. Stir in shredded carrots until evenly distributed, with carrot flecks visible throughout the batter.
  3. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt until just combined. Fold in walnuts last so they stay suspended rather than fully sinking.
  4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 60–70 minutes. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is deeply golden, indicating the center is set.
Frost and serve
  1. Cool completely before frosting, so the cream cheese mixture spreads without melting. Wait until the loaf is fully cool to the touch.
  2. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Spread the frosting across the top in an even layer and keep a thick, frosting-top look.
  3. Slice and serve chilled or at room temperature. The crumb should look moist with shredded carrot visible, while frosting remains intact.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, cool the loaf completely before frosting; chilling for 1–2 hours helps the frosting firm up. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (freezer: yes—freeze unfrosted slices up to 2 months). Dietary swap: use a lactose-free cream cheese and lactose-free milk to keep the frosting creamy without changing texture.