Pumpkin Banana Muffins

These pumpkin banana muffins are the perfect Fall twist on classic banana muffins. They’re soft, fluffy, warm-spiced, and filled with gooey chocolate chips. So easy to make and ready in no time!

Ah Fall - the season for all things pumpkin! I usually kick off the season with pumpkin cake or even pumpkin ice cream, but these pumpkin banana muffins are so good, I actually bake them year-round!

This recipe can be made with dairy ingredients or it can be made dairy free, and they’re a perfect way to use up those over-ripe bananas too! They are perfect for kids and adults alike!

Why These Pumpkin Banana Muffins Work

• They are so easy to make and require just a few simple ingredients
• The combination of pumpkin and banana makes the muffins ultra-moist and fluffy
• They can be made using whole wheat flour if you want to make them healthier!
• These muffins aren’t too sweet, so they are perfect for an on-the-go snack, breakfast, or for serving at brunch.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter: you can use any kind of softened butter (regular or dairy free) or you can substitute with an equal amount of neutral oil. You can also substitute for unsweetened applesauce to make them a little healthier if needed. 
• Flour: this recipe uses all-purpose flour, but you can also use a combination of whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour. Be sure to properly measure your flour using a kitchen scale or the scoop and level method!
• Banana: this recipe calls for 1 cup of mashed banana. Ripe bananas are best - I usually use frozen bananas in my baking. Thaw them in a bowl in the fridge or at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking.
• Pumpkin Puree: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices, so the flavor and sweetness of these muffins will be affected if you use it.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can buy pumpkin pie spice online or in the spice aisle of most grocery stores, or you can make your own! See the Recipe Notes below for homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe.

Step By Step Instructions

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a muffin tin with a light coating of cooking spray or with muffin liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set it aside.

STEP TWO: For ultra smooth muffins, I like to puree my bananas in the blender. Alternatively, mash the bananas with a fork, then measure out 1 cup and set aside.

STEP THREE: In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat butter, oil, and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add in pumpkin puree and mashed bananas. 

STEP FOUR:  Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then stir in chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate. Divide the batter between the muffins tins and fill almost to the top, around ¾ full. Bake for 17-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the muffins comes out clean. 

Expert Tips

• Use overripe bananas: When baking with bananas, the perfect bananas are the ones that are very overripe, covered in big black spots. Bananas at this stage get extra soft, mushy, and sweet. I always have a huge stash of these in my freezer. When I'm ready to bake with bananas I just remove them from the freezer about 1-2 hours before and let them thaw in a bowl.
• Blend the ripe bananas: Instead of mashing the bananas up with a fork, try blending them in a food processor or blender until they are super smooth. A simple tip, but it definitely makes a difference. The banana flavour is there, but it's so smoothly incorporated with pumpkin flavour that the flavours blend seamlessly. If you prefer to mash them with a fork - that's fine too.
• Measure out the bananas after blending them: These pumpkin banana muffins only need 1 cup of banana and 1 cup of pumpkin, for 2 cups total. To get an accurate measurement, make sure you measure the bananas after blending them. If you are a little bit short of a full cup of bananas, just top up the remaining amount with pumpkin purée.
• Properly measure your flour: Over-measuring your flour will lead to dry muffins. I strongly recommend using a kitchen scale, but you can also use the scoop and level method if you don't have a scale.
• Don’t over-mix: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are just combined, no longer. Over-mixing will affect the texture of the muffins - we want light and fluffy muffins right?!
• Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter, or sprinkle them on top before baking if you'd like to add some crunch to the muffins!

Storage and Freezing Instructions

The pumpkin muffins will last for 2-3 days at room temperature in an airtight container. But for the ultimate freshness, I actually like to freeze them in a ziploc bag as soon as they have cooled completely.

Whenever I want to eat one, I take it out of the freezer bag and microwave for 20-30 seconds for warm muffins, or let the muffins thaw at room temperature. If you want to serve them all at once you can take the whole bag out and thaw for a few hours at room temperature.

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If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.