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    Home > Recipes > Muffins, Scones, and Loaves > Pumpkin Banana Muffins

    Pumpkin Banana Muffins

    Published on September 17, 2020. Last updated on September 22, 2021. By Gabby. 12 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    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!

    pumpkin banana muffin with more muffins in the background and chocolate scattered around them

    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!

    TABLE OF CONTENTS show
    1 Why These Pumpkin Banana Muffins Work
    2 Ingredient Notes
    3 Step By Step Instructions
    4 Storage and Freezing Instructions
    5 Pumpkin Banana Muffins

    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.
    half of a pumpkin banana muffin with muffins in the background

    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. 

    step by step instructions showing how to make pumpkin banana muffins
    more step by step instructions showing how to make pumpkin banana muffins
    How do I make homemade pumpkin pie spice?

    If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can use the following combination of spices: ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

    How do I get those perfectly round muffin tops?

    In this particular recipe, there is a full teaspoon of baking powder and a full teaspoon of baking soda, which help achieve those tall round muffin tops. Filling them ¾ full is another way to get beautiful brunch-worthy pumpkin muffins!

    Can I make these muffins without chocolate chips?

    Definitely! I’ve made them without chocolate chips many times. I also sometimes like to use chopped up semisweet chocolate, or chopped pecans/walnuts in this recipe.

    pumpkin banana muffins split in half on a plate

    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!
    pumpkin banana muffins split in half with butter

    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.

    More Fall Recipes You'll Love

    • Apple Cake Loaf
    • Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Banana Carrot Muffins
    • Halloween Candy Cookies

    Pin it for later!

    pumpkin banana muffin with text overlay for pinterest

    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!

    pumpkin banana muffin with more muffins in the background on a cooling rack

    Pumpkin Banana Muffins

    Gabby
    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!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Bake 25 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 muffins
    Calories 258 kcal

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowl
    • Muffin tin

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ⅓ cup butter, softened (regular or vegan)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 bananas)
    • 1 cup pumpkin puree (SEE NOTES)
    • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (SEE NOTES)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour (SEE NOTES)
    • ⅓-½ cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (regular or vegan)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 12 liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl of a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat together butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
    • Mash the ripe bananas either with a fork or in a blender, then measure out 1 cup. Only use one cup. If you are a little bit short, just top up the measuring cup with pumpkin puree to reach 1 cup.
    • Add the 1 cup of blended/mashed bananas and 1 cup pumpkin puree into the large mixing bowl and mix.
    • Add the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl every so often. Stir in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
    • Scoop roughly ⅓ cup of the batter into each muffin liner, the liners should be about ¾ full. Sprinkle with more chocolate if desired.
    • Bake for 19-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool in the muffin tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Video

    Notes

    BUTTER: Butter can be substituted with an equal amount of a neutral oil or unsweetened apple sauce.
    BANANAS: You can use bananas that have been previously frozen and thaw them out at room temperature before mashing, or  you can use bananas that aren't frozen. Overripe bananas are best, and the more overripe they are the sweeter the muffins will be.
    PUMPKIN PUREE: Please note that this is not the same as pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has spices and sugar added into it, so it will affect the spice and sweetness of the muffins.
    PUMPKIN PIE SPICE: If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can use the following combination of spices: ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    MEASURING FLOUR: Properly measure your flour using the scoop and level method or a kitchen scale. 
    OPTIONAL MIX INS: If you'd like, you can add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter or sprinkle some on top before baking.
    Storage and Freezing Instructions: Store muffins for 2-3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
    Freezing is my favorite way to have fresh muffins on demand! Freeze the cooled muffins in a ziploc freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.  When ready to eat, take one out of the freezer and microwave it for 30 seconds (which makes them taste fresh out of the oven), or let it thaw at room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Sodium: 277mgCalcium: 41mgVitamin C: 3mgVitamin A: 3474IUSugar: 23gFiber: 2gPotassium: 193mgCholesterol: 28mgCalories: 258kcalTrans Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 3gFat: 8gProtein: 4gCarbohydrates: 43gIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melissa

      November 14, 2021 at 10:04 pm

      5 stars
      These are the bomb! Super delicious and less sugar than a lot of other recipes. A perfect way to use up overly ripe bananas that isn’t banana bread. I’ve doubled the recipe with much success. When I do this I find one stick of butter and one can of pumpkin purée is enough. 😀 I always end up sharing the recipe. I bake them at 375, but that’s my personal muffin baking temperature preference.

      Reply
      • Gabby

        November 15, 2021 at 3:58 pm

        Hi Melissa! Yay I am so happy to hear that you love the muffins! Thanks so much for sharing and for taking the time to come back and leave a review! 😀

        Reply
    2. Joanne

      October 24, 2021 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious super moist muffin So good. Next time I would add the walnuts or pecans and a few more chocolate chips. Thanks for sharing. A keeper for sure

      Reply
      • Gabby

        October 25, 2021 at 3:34 pm

        Hi Joanne! I'm so happy to hear that you loved the recipe! Walnuts and pecans would be delicious additions too 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review!

        Reply
    3. Kristina Barber

      October 05, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      YUM! I make banana muffins weekly and these are a wonderful fall addition! I did end up getting 18 muffins out of the batch 😋

      Reply
      • Gabby

        October 05, 2021 at 3:58 pm

        Hi Kristina! I make muffins weekly too, they are so great to have as a snack! So happy you loved these and thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kelly

      September 24, 2021 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is amazing! Perfectly moist muffins every time, I can't stop eating them!

      Reply
      • Gabby

        September 24, 2021 at 4:15 pm

        Hi Kelly! I'm so glad to hear that you love the muffins - thanks so much for the review 🙂

        Reply
    5. Ellen

      November 11, 2020 at 7:46 pm

      5 stars
      These muffins are spectacular!! Perfect for the seasonal autumn flavours I was craving. I made them several times because they never lasted long in our house! I also tried the chopped chocolate rather than chocolate chips and, as promised, it made a world of difference. Would absolutely recommend giving these a try!

      Reply
      • Gabby

        November 11, 2020 at 9:54 pm

        Hi Ellen! Yay! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I'm so happy to hear that you loved the muffins 🙂

        Reply
    6. Viri

      October 14, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      What a great idea adding pumpkin!
      I’m making these right now! I always have over ripe bananas in the freezer to make banana bread or muffins. I find they are so easy to blend when they defrost.

      Reply
      • Gabby

        October 19, 2020 at 7:10 pm

        Hi Viri! I do the same! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, can't wait to hear what you think of it 🙂

        Reply

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