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Carrot Cake Banana Bread

Carrot cake banana bread with warm cinnamon-spiced crumb and visible shredded carrot, baked into a golden loaf. Finished with a simple cream cheese frosting for the classic carrot-cake tang in an easy quick bread slice.
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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: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana carrot loaf
  • 2 ripe bananas Mash until mostly smooth, with a few small lumps okay.
  • 1 cup shredded carrots Use about 2 medium carrots; shred finely so it bakes evenly.
  • 0.33 cup butter Melted, then cooled slightly so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar Packed for a richer loaf.
  • 2 large eggs Room temperature helps the batter mix smoothly.
  • 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; fold in gently to keep a tender crumb.
Cream cheese frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese Soften until spreadable.
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk Add as needed for a spreadable consistency.
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Bake the spiced loaf
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the mashed bananas, then stir in the shredded carrots until evenly combined.
  3. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt until just combined, then fold in the chopped walnuts.
  4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is deeply golden.
Frost and serve
  1. Cool the loaf completely before frosting.
  2. Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth, then spread the frosting across the top.
  3. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

Pro tip: let the loaf cool fully before adding frosting so the cream cheese doesn’t melt or slide. Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days; freeze frosted slices only if needed (up to 2 months) since frosting texture may soften on thawing. For a dairy-light option, use a dairy-free cream cheese and unsweetened plant milk in the frosting (texture may be slightly softer).