Description
These Pumpkin Banana Muffins are a perfect blend of fall’s favorite flavors and everyday comfort. The sweetness of ripe bananas combined with earthy pumpkin creates a moist, tender muffin packed with natural sweetness. Whether you enjoy these muffins as a breakfast treat, a snack, or a dessert, they’re wholesome, satisfying, and simple to make. Filled with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, they’re the ultimate autumn treat that your whole family will love. Plus, they are packed with vitamins, fiber, and potassium, making them as nutritious as they are delicious.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, preferably fresh or canned pure pumpkin)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil (for a healthier option)
- 1 cup brown sugar (you can use coconut sugar or honey as a substitute)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (substitute with whole wheat flour or gluten-free blend if preferred)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional Add-Ins:
- ½ cup chocolate chips (for a decadent touch)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (for a crunchy texture)
- ¼ cup raisins or dried cranberries (for extra sweetness)
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the tin to prevent sticking.
Step 2: Mash the Bananas
In a large bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas until smooth. Make sure there are no large chunks left. Bananas that are overly ripe will yield a sweeter, more moist muffin.
Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients
To the mashed bananas, add pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix well until all wet ingredients are fully incorporated.
Step 4: Mix Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Ensure everything is well combined for even flavor distribution.
Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as overmixing can result in dense muffins.
Step 6: Fold in Optional Add-Ins
If you’re adding chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit, gently fold them into the batter at this stage. This will add additional flavor and texture to the muffins.
Step 7: Fill the Muffin Tin
Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. This allows the muffins to rise properly while baking.
Step 8: Bake
Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking to keep the muffins moist and tender.
Step 9: Cool and Enjoy
Once the muffins are fully baked, remove the tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use Ripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be.
- Pumpkin Substitute: Fresh pumpkin puree is ideal, but canned pumpkin puree works well. Ensure it’s 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices.
- Oil Options: If you’re looking for a healthier fat, use melted coconut oil or a neutral-flavored olive oil. For an even lighter option, unsweetened applesauce can replace oil.
- Sweetener Alternatives: You can reduce the sugar content by swapping out brown sugar for natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute regular flour with a gluten-free blend to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Make It Vegan: Replace the eggs with flax eggs (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water per egg) and use a plant-based oil like coconut oil.
- Storage: Store muffins at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container. They can also be refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg