These banana and pumpkin muffins are my new favorite muffin recipe! With both banana AND pumpkin in the batter, these pumpkin banana muffins are super moist and naturally sweet. Plus, they just taste like fall!
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Banana Muffins
- Ingredients
- Adaptations/Variations
- How to Make Banana and Pumpkin Muffins
- Tips for Success
- How to Freeze Pumpkin Banana Muffins
The Story Behind the Recipe
I love, love, love baking pumpkin goodies when fall comes around! There’s just something so meditative and cozy about getting back in the kitchen and mixing together the ingredients for a batch of muffins or pumpkin bread.
I wanted to share a muffin recipe with BOTH banana and pumpkin – banana for moistness and natural sweetness, and pumpkin because it’s PUMPKIN! I wanted a cozy, comfort-food-level muffin that was utterly delicious and can’t-help-but-grab-another good. These muffins deliver!
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Banana Muffins
First, they’re so easy! These are really, really easy muffins to make. All you need is one bowl – makes clean-up a cinch!
They’re super moist – and the longer they sit, the more moist they get!
They make your house smell amazing. Pumpkin + pumpkin spice + the oven = your place is going to smell really, really good.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for banana and pumpkin muffins!
- Bananas – you’ll want two medium ripe bananas, for a total of about one cup of mashed banana.
- Pumpkin puree – Grab canned pumpkin puree or make your own pumpkin puree from scratch.
- Sugar and brown sugar – I like to use a combo of both white sugar for straight-up sweetness and brown sugar for a hint of caramelly flavor and added moisture.
- Egg – An added binder that helps hold them all together!
- Vanilla – For a warm, sweet flavor note.
- Vegetable oil – Melted coconut oil or canola oil will work, too. This helps them stay nice and moist.
- Flour – I like to use all-purpose flour for a tender muffin, but white whole wheat flour or partial whole wheat flour are great for an even heartier muffin.
- Baking powder – To help them rise!
- Salt – To enhance the flavors.
- Pumpkin pie spice – Pumpkin spice is always a must! Use homemade pumpkin pie spice, grab a bottle from the store, or substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, and a pinch of ground cloves.
Adaptations/Variations
- Pumpkin banana oatmeal muffins: Add 1/2 cup of rolled oats and sprinkle a little more on top.
- Pumpkin banana chocolate chip muffins: Add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, mixing them in with the dry ingredients.
- Vegan pumpkin banana muffins: Leave the egg out and add an additional banana.
How to Make Banana and Pumpkin Muffins
I like to make muffins as simple as possible, preferably in a single bowl.
For these muffins, we mash the banana and then add the pumpkin, egg, vanilla, sugars, and oil, then mix all the wet ingredients up.
After that, I like to place a sifter over the wet ingredients and add the dry, sifting them in, and then finally stirring the batter together.
Divide the batter between the muffin cups, bake, and voila!
Tips for Success
- Help ensure accurate flour measurements: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level it to help ensure you don’t add too much, or you can place the bowl on a scale and zero it out, then measure the flour to 250 grams.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet and stir JUST until well-blended/incorporated. If you keep stirring, you risk developing the gluten, which can make your muffins tough.
- Use non-stick spray. You can use cupcake liners, but I still recommend a quick spray with non-stick spray such as Pam to help keep them from sticking to the liners. I will also make these without the liners, just making sure to coat the muffin cups liberally with the non-stick spray.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Banana Muffins
To freeze banana and pumpkin muffins, just transfer the cooled muffins to a freezer bag and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw, pull them out and place them on the counter. 30 minutes to an hour of room temp should be enough for them to thaw out.
I hope you love these pumpkin banana muffins as much as I do! They’re soft and tender, super moist, and full of pumpkin and banana flavor. Plus, they’re easy to make, and the whole family gobbles them up!
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark, your preference)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the cups of a standard-sized muffin tin with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Place the bananas into a large bowl and mash with a fork or a masher until completely smooth. You'll want about 1 cup of mashed banana.
- Add the pumpkin, egg, vegetable oil, vanilla, and both sugars. Mix with a whisk until completely combined.
- Set a fine-mesh sieve over the top of the wet ingredients and add the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet. Alternately, if you don't have a sifter, you can mix the dry ingredients together in a medium-size bowl then pour them over the wet ingredients.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until completely combined, but don't overstir.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop – makes it so easy!
- Bake until the tops of the muffins spring back when you poke them and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.
