Soft, fluffy pumpkin banana muffins combine the richness of pumpkin and the natural sweetness of bananas for a treat that’s perfect for fall mornings or an afternoon pick-me-up!
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🍯 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🎃 More Baked Pumpkin Recipes
These pumpkin banana muffins are my go-to when I need a comforting and flavorful muffin. With the perfect balance of warm pumpkin spice and the sweetness from ripe bananas, they’re incredibly moist and tender. These muffins pack a nutritious punch with the pumpkin puree and bananas while staying indulgent with options like chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
These healthy muffins are easy to make, family-friendly (everyone will love them and I often make them for my daughter’s lunchbox), perfect for meal prep and freezing and they’re a great way to use up any extra ripe bananas hanging around.
👩🍳 You might also like these baked goodies: my high-protein banana bread, my healthy banana chocolate chip muffins, these grain-free, paleo blueberry banana muffins, these gluten-free zucchini muffins with cheese, or this delicious quinoa banana bread. Check out these other pumpkin desserts, healthy muffins for kids or pumpkin protein muffins from The Clean Eating Couple.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this pumpkin banana muffin recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice (brings that cozy fall flavor). See notes in the Recipe Card for gluten-free swaps.
- Sugars: Granulated sugar, light brown sugar (adds extra moisture and a caramel flavor). You can swap these for sugar-free alternatives, no problem!
- Wet ingredients: Pumpkin puree (this adds moisture, natural sweetness, and nutrients like fibre and vitamin A), mashed bananas (provides natural sweetness and keeps the muffins moist), yogurt (adds moisture and a slight tang while helping make the muffins fluffy, use Greek yogurt for extra protein), melted unsalted butter (add richness and fluffiness but you could swap it for coconut oil to make this dairy-free), and vanilla extract. Got leftover pumpkin puree? Try these healthy pumpkin pancakes from Perchance To Cook.
- Eggs: For binding, structure and fluffiness.
- Optional add-ins: Chopped nuts or chocolate chips (for extra crunch or indulgence).
How To Make Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make pumpkin muffins.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line or grease a muffin tin (I used larger casings tin for these muffins).
- Mix the sugars, pumpkin, mashed bananas, yogurt, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl (1-2).
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spice, and salt in another bowl (3-4).
- Gradually combine wet and dry ingredients; fold in nuts or chocolate chips if desired (5-6).
- Fill muffin cups ¾ full (pics 7-8)and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. If making smaller muffins (regular muffin tin), bake for 20 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
Here are some of my expert tips for making these banana and pumpkin muffins perfect every time.
- Use ripe bananas for the best flavor and moisture.
- Pumpkin Spice: If you don’t have individual spices, you can use 2 tsp of pumpkin spice mix instead.
- Don’t overmix: To keep your muffins tender, mix until just combined. Overmixing can make them dense.
- Add-ins: Try cranberries, white chocolate chips, or a cinnamon sugar topping for more flavor variations.
- Healthier swaps: Use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar, or swap some flour for oat flour for added fibre.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with a pat of butter or a drizzle of maple syrup. If you’re feeling a little more decadent try this pumpkin spice whipped cream on top (OMG, so good!).These muffins pair perfectly with your morning coffee or a cup of Chai tea.
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Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 6 oz or 190 grams, see Notes below for swaps
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 5 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking powder 2.5 grams
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup granulated sugar 3.5 oz or 100 grams, or sugar-free alternative
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed (3.5 oz or 100 grams)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree 8 oz or 240 grams
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- ½ cup plain yogurt 4 oz or 120 grams, use Greek for higher-protein
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted (2 oz or 60 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5ml
- Optional: ½ cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips 3 oz or 85-90 grams
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large (jumbo) muffin tin with paper liners or grease the tin well. You can use a regular muffin tin as well, reducing the cooking time slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, yogurt, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Combine the mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix. If you're adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in at this stage.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. For smaller (regular)muffins, bake for 20 minutes or so.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Gluten-free swaps
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- Gluten-Free Flour: Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Look for a blend that is a 1:1 substitute for regular flour, meaning it contains a mix of gluten-free flours and a binding agent like xanthan gum. Some popular brands include Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Flour.
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- Check Baking Powder: Ensure your baking powder is gluten-free. While most are, it’s always good to double-check the label.
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- Mixing tips: Gluten-free batters can sometimes be thicker. If the batter seems too thick, you can add a little more yogurt or a splash of milk to reach the desired consistency.
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- Baking time: Gluten-free muffins may need a few extra minutes in the oven. Keep an eye on them and test with a toothpick to ensure they’re fully cooked.
Grain-Free Flour Substitutes
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- Almond flour: Use finely ground almond flour as a 1:1 substitute for traditional flour. It provides a moist and tender crumb.
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- Coconut flour: Coconut flour is very absorbent, so if you choose to use it, reduce the quantity to about ¼ of what you’d use with regular flour and increase the number of eggs for moisture.
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- Cassava flour: This can be used as a 1:1 substitute for traditional flour and has a neutral flavor.
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- I recommend a mixture of almond flour and/or coconut flour or cassava flour, or all three. I would do 50% almond flour, then 25% cassava and 25% coconut.
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- Baking Tips: Since you won’t be using grain-based flours, you may need to increase the number of eggs or add a small amount of xanthan gum to help with binding. Grain-free flours often require more moisture, so consider adding a bit more mashed banana or pumpkin puree if the batter seems too thick. Be mindful of the texture of the batter, as grain-free flours can behave differently. The batter should be thick but pourable.
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