Moist, tender, and warmly spiced - these pumpkin banana muffins are the perfect make-ahead breakfast or snack for Fall. Made with overripe bananas and pumpkin purée, they are ready in no time.
CONTENTS
Why this recipe works
- It's quick and simple to make. This muffin recipe is a snap to make. The whole process takes only about 10 minutes of active prep time.
- It has pumpkin pie spice! If you love pumpkin flavour - you'll love this easy pumpkin banana muffin recipe.
- It's the perfect grab-and-go afternoon snack and great for a quick breakfast.
- The combination of pumpkin and bananas makes these muffins super moist and fluffy.
- It's a great recipe! Better than banana bread (in my opinion!).
Related: Love pumpkin? Try my pumpkin scones and Greek pumpkin pie for the ultimate Fall flavours!
Ingredients to make this recipe
Note: you can find full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Dry Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour - I'm using regular all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Brown sugar - either light or dark brown sugar will work here.
- Baking powder & baking soda - both used as leavening agents - to help the muffins rise.
- Pumpkin pie spice - I'm using the store-bought variety of pumpkin spice for these muffins. If you don't have any on hand, you can make your own using ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg.
Wet Ingredients:
- Pumpkin purée - feel free to use homemade purée or canned pumpkin.
- Overripe Bananas - make sure to use up those overripe bananas. Mashed bananas will be easier to mix in the batter and lend a natural sweetness to the muffins.
- Butter - I'm using unsalted butter for these tasty muffins, but salted butter will also work.
- Milk - full-fat or light milk is perfectly fine.
- Egg - I'm using a large-sized egg at room temperature.
- Vanilla - either vanilla extract or vanilla paste will work here.
Ingredient substitutions
- Swap out the all-purpose flour with either white spelt flour or a combination of whole wheat. You can even use gluten free flour too.
- If you like coconut sugar - use that instead of brown sugar.
- Substitute the butter with a plant-based version or use a neutral-flavoured oil like canola or vegetable oil. Alternatively, try using coconut oil.
- Swap the dairy milk for your favourite plant-based milk.
- If you're vegan, swap in a flax egg. Mix one tablespoon of flax seeds with three tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until gelatinous.
Variations
This recipe is entirely flexible - consider adding any of the following to make these muffins even better!
- Add a cup of walnuts or pecans to the batter. Alternatively, sprinkle some on top before baking.
- Mini chocolate chips work well, too (add one cup).
- Add a tablespoon of maple syrup for extra flavour.
How to make pumpkin banana muffins
Start by preheating your oven to 180C (360F). Next, prep the muffin tin with muffin cups and give them a quick once over with non-stick cooking spray.
In one bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, melted butter, milk and egg.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.
Tip the dry ingredients into the wet, then stir until just combined and no pockets of dry ingredients remain.
Fill the muffin cups *almost* to the top. Pop them in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool on a wire rack, and enjoy when cool enough to handle!
Expert Tips
- Use very ripe bananas. For best results, use overripe bananas when baking these muffins. At this point, bananas start to soften up and become mushier than usual. They're sweeter too!
👨🍳 Cooks Tip: If you want to ripen your bananas in a hurry, pop them in the oven on a lined baking sheet at 150C (300F). They'll be ready to use in 20-30 minutes.
- Don't over-mix the batter. Mix your ingredients until just combined (I can't stress this enough!). If you want fluffy muffins, you only need to mix the ingredients and bring them together.
- Make your pumpkin pie spice - combine ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice in a small bowl to use in this recipe.
- Use both muffin tin liners and non-stick cooking spray. The muffin liners serve double duty by making the pumpkin muffins easy to dislodge from the muffin tin.
Storing, Freezing & Reheating
- Store: Store these in an airtight container and place them in the fridge.
- Freeze: I recommend freezing the muffins in a freezer bag. They'll last for up to a month using this method.
- Reheat: To serve warm, let them thaw and come to room temperature. Then, reheat the muffins in a microwave for 20-30 seconds on HIGH - alternatively, place them on a baking sheet and heat them in a 200C (400F) oven for 10 minutes
Recipe FAQs
You can use both fresh and frozen ripe bananas in this recipe. For frozen bananas, thaw them first, making sure to add any of the excess liquid back to the muffin batter.
The best way to test for doneness is by inserting a toothpick into the centre of the muffins. If it comes out clean - they're ready.
More pumpkin recipes
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📋 Recipe
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 300 grams all-purpose flour, (see note 1)
- 100 grams brown sugar, (see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, (see note 3)
Wet Ingredients
- 225 grams (1 cup) pumpkin puree , (mashed pumpkin)
- 2 bananas, mashed, preferably over ripe (see note 4)
- 80 grams butter, melted (see note 5)
- 60 ml milk , (see note 6)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or paste
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 180C (360F). Prep your muffin tin with muffin liners and give them a quick once over with non-stick cooking spray. (see note 8)
- In one bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, melted butter, milk and egg.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the spelt flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.
- Tip the dry ingredients into the wet, then stir until just combined and no pockets of dry ingredients remain. (see note 9)
- Fill the muffin cups *almost* to the top. Pop them in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack and when cool enough to handle, enjoy!
Notes
- Swap out the all-purpose flour with either white spelt flour or a combination of whole wheat.
- If you like coconut sugar - use that instead of brown sugar.
- Make your pumpkin pie spice - combine ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice in a small bowl to use in this recipe.
- Use very ripe bananas. For best results, use overripe bananas when baking these muffins. At this point, bananas start to soften up and become mushier than usual. They're sweeter too!
- Substitute the butter with a plant-based version or use a neutral-flavoured oil like canola or vegetable oil. Alternatively, try using coconut oil.
- Swap the dairy milk for your favourite plant-based milk.
- If you're vegan, swap in a flax egg. Mix one tablespoon of flax seeds with three tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until gelatinous.
- Use both muffin tin liners and non-stick cooking spray. The muffin liners serve double duty by making the pumpkin muffins easy to dislodge from the muffin tin.
- Don't over-mix the batter. Mix your ingredients until just combined (I can't stress this enough!). If you want fluffy muffins, you only need to mix the ingredients and bring them together.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
This post was first published in November 2021 but was updated with new information in October 2022.
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