ONE BOWL CARROT CAKE BANANA BREAD

This One Bowl Carrot Cake Banana Bread is made without butter or oil, but so tender and flavourful that you’d never be able to tell it’s healthy! Greek yogurt, bananas, and shredded carrots keep it moist, while a sweetened cream cheese frosting makes it feel extra decadent.

Sliced carrot cake banana bread with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts on top. The texture is especially tender.
We’re doing some spring cleaning on the blog today! Or just cleaning since winter decided to make a second third appearance and dump a whole lot of snow on us. One day I’ll be able to go outside again. One day.

Sliced carrot cake banana bread with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts on top.
It’s funny because there was a time in my life where I wouldn’t even entertain the possibility of putting vegetables in my desserts. Carrot cake was a definite no-go. Chocolate zucchini anything was fine as long as you left out the zucchini part. And something like sweet potato brownies would have had me crying blasphemy until I got a real dessert.

But these days? I love a good carrot cake. And while I know today’s carrot cake banana bread isn’t exactly carrot cake, it’s got carrots and cream cheese frosting, so it’s sort of the same thing. I’d argue it’s even better because you get the best of both worlds – banana flavour, subtle spice, a suuuuuuuuuuuper tender crumb, and, of course, cream cheese frosting.

A slice of carrot cake banana bread on a plate with a fork.
HOW TO MAKE CARROT CAKE BANANA BREAD
It’s super easy! All you need is one bowl and four basic steps:

Mix the wet ingredients
Slowly add in the dry ingredients (and carrots)
Bake
Frost

Not much more to it than that! But here are some tips to help you get the best carrot cake banana bread:

Mix your wet ingredients well and make sure the oats, carrots, and spices are fully incorporated into the wet ingredients before you add the flour.
Add the flour by spoonfuls and gently mix it into the batter. You want to avoid overmixing otherwise you’ll get a tougher loaf.
I like to use bananas that are spotty but not completely black. Bananas that are too ripe can cause this loaf to be a little gummier.
The recipe calls for maple syrup, but you can definitely use honey if that’s what you have on hand.
The same thing goes for the quick oats – use regular oats if that’s what you have.
I like to use Greek yogurt since it’s less liquid-y, but regular yogurt works as well. You can also use a vanilla flavoured one if you want more sweetness.
All-purpose flour will work if you don’t have whole wheat pastry. You can also use a mix of 3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose and 1/2 cup (60 g) of whole wheat.
Wait until the loaf is completely cool before you frost it. If it’s still warm, the frosting will just melt right off it.
Feel free to add raisins or nuts to the loaf, or sprinkle some chopped walnuts over the top!

one bowl carrot cake banana bread

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BREAD:
1 large egg
1/2 cup (115 g) plain 2% Greek yogurt
2 medium-size, ripe bananas, mashed (200 g or 1 cup)
6 tbsp (90 ml) maple syrup*
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup (60 g) quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup (150 g) whole wheat pastry flour**
1 cup (85 g) shredded carrots, about 2 medium
FOR THE FROSTING:
4 oz (112 g) low fat cream cheese
1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC), and lightly grease a 9 x 5 (23cm x 13cm) bread pan.
In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg just until the yolk breaks apart. Whisk in the yogurt, bananas, maple syrup, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Stir in the oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Spoon in the flour and gently fold it in until just combined. Gently stir in the shredded carrots, taking care not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it out evenly. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once the bread is cool, prepare the frosting by beating the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Spread it on top of the cooled cake prior to slicing. Store the bread in a covered container in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze it (unfrosted) for up to 3 months.

NOTES
* You can also use honey.

** You can also use all purpose flour or a mix of 3/4 cup (90 g) all purpose and 1/2 cup (60 g) of whole wheat flour.