Christmas Banana Bread

Christmas banana bread is soft, moist, and perfectly flavored with sweet bananas, dark brown sugar, and cozy holiday spices. This holiday banana bread recipe is easy to make and topped with a fluffy frosting. Enjoy it with your morning coffee, serve it as dessert, or give it as a gift.

For more holiday-inspired recipes, try our popular eggnog banana bread, cranberry orange banana bread, and sweet potato banana bread.

The best holiday banana bread

You’ll love this homemade Christmas banana bread because it’s easy to whip up, and it’s so delicious.

Baking a loaf of this tasty banana bread will fill your home with fragrant holiday scents of cinnamon, molasses, and bananas.

Gingerbread banana bread makes the perfect breakfast, snack, and dessert for the holiday season.

Bake a loaf on Christmas morning, holiday tea, or a festive movie night at home.

It’s a holiday-must bake, together with cranberry orange muffins, snowballs, and eggnog muffins!

Christmas banana bread ingredients

See the recipe card below for exact measurements to make this easy holiday banana bread recipe.

• All-purpose flour gives the holiday banana bread structure as it bakes.
• Baking powder gives the banana bread a lift and creates a soft crumb.
• Gingerbread spice infuses every bite with a delicious holiday aroma. It’s a cozy blend of cinnamon and other spices like ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. You can mix your own spice blend or buy a premade mix.
• Bananas: Mashed bananas add flavor, moisture, and sweetness to the bread. The riper and spottier the bananas are, the better your bread will taste!
• Dark brown sugar keeps the bread moist and sweet. I prefer dark brown sugar here because it contains more molasses and creates a richer taste.
• Salted butter: Let the butter soften to room temperature.
• Eggs: You need 2 large eggs.
• Buttermilk makes the banana bread super moist and delicious.
• Vanilla extract adds depth of flavor.
• Candied cherries add a festive pop of color and extra sweetness.

Topping

I garnished my banana bread with a simple buttercream frosting and festive, and red and green holiday sprinkles.

The easy frosting comes together with butter and powdered sugar and is an excellent pairing with banana bread.

You could also dust your holiday banana bread recipe with powdered sugar for a super simple garnish.

Or drizzle the loaf with a quick glaze made from powdered sugar and milk.

Or try my 2-ingredient cream cheese frosting. Lots of options here!

How to make Christmas banana bread

1 Cream butter and sugar

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and light in color, about 3 to 4 minutes.

2 Add liquid ingredients

• Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined before adding the next.
• Next, add the mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix until combined.

3 Add dry ingredients

Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and gingerbread spice. Stir in until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter, or you’ll end up with dense banana bread. Fold in the candied cherries.

4 Bake & cool

• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes.
• To check the doneness, insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes clean, the bread is done. But if you still see liquid batter, the bread needs to bake longer.
• Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then, transfer the loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5 Frost the bread

• In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer (with the paddle attachment), beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar. Whip for another 5 minutes. Spread the buttercream over the cooled loaf and decorate with sprinkles.

Baker’s tips

• Ripe Bananas: Look for bananas that are speckled and brown, maybe even black. The riper they are, the sweeter the taste and the bolder the banana flavor will be.
• Use brown sugar: While the bananas add sweetness to the bread, dark brown sugar provides a wonderful richness and extra moisture.
• Properly measure the flour: Measuring the flour correctly is one key to baking perfect Christmas banana bread. Either weigh your flour with a kitchen scale or use the spoon-and-level method. Gently scoop the flour into your measuring cup, then level the excess off with a knife.
• Don’t overmix: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones and stop once the batter just comes together. Overmixing activates the gluten in the flour, which toughens the bread as it bakes.
• Check doneness: Stick a skewer into the center of your bread. If the skewer comes out dry or with crumbs, your banana bread is ready. But if you notice wet batter, continue baking the bread for another 5 minutes and check again.
• Allow to cool before slicing: Allow your holiday banana loaf to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. If you try to cut while the bread is still hot, you risk the loaf to fall apart and dry out.

Storage instructions

How to store Christmas banana bread

Store your holiday banana bread tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature.

The bread will stay fresh and moist for 3 to 4 days.

Freeze Christmas banana bread

You can freeze the whole loaf or individual slices for up to 3 months. You can freeze the loaf with or without the frosting.

Wrap the cooled loaf/slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag or a freezer-friendly container.

To thaw, let the bread sit out on the counter to bring it to room temperature.

More banana bread recipes

• Condensed Milk Banana Bread
• Pistachio Banana Bread
• Lemon Banana Bread
• Bisquick Banana Bread
• Skillet Banana Bread
• Raisin Banana Bread
• Starbucks Banana Bread Recipe
• Banana Bread with Self-Rising Flour
• 4 Ingredient Banana Bread
• Banana Bread French Toast

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