Pumpkin Banana Muffins (Printable)

Moist muffins combining ripe bananas and pumpkin puree with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 cup mashed ripe banana (approximately 2 medium bananas)
02 - 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil
05 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
06 - 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

08 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
15 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

→ Optional Add-ins

16 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
17 - 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly with cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves until evenly distributed.
04 - Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Gently fold with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix as this can result in dense muffins.
05 - Fold in walnuts, pecans, and/or chocolate chips if using.
06 - Evenly divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
07 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
08 - Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly moist without being heavy, thanks to the dual power of pumpkin and banana working together
  • These freeze beautifully so you can pretend you have your life together on busy weekday mornings
  • The spice blend hits that perfect cozy spot without overwhelming the fruit flavors
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will make these tough and rubbery—stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • These muffins continue baking slightly from residual heat, so pulling them out when a toothpick has moist crumbs is better than waiting for it to be completely clean
  • The muffins will sink in the middle if you open the oven door before they have set, which takes about 15 minutes
03 -
  • Roast the walnuts or pecans at 350°F for 8 minutes before adding them to the batter—this deepens their flavor significantly
  • Let the batter rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking for a taller, more tender muffin
  • Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups for evenly sized muffins that bake at the same rate

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