Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins

If you’re looking for a banana muffin recipe that’s fall-inspired and super cozy, you have to try these Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins. They don’t take long to make and are a freezer-friendly snack that you can take with you when you’re on the go!

Why I love this recipe

Muffins are one of my favourite afternoon snacks. I love to heat them up in the microwave and enjoy them with a dollop of Greek yogurt for some extra protein. It’s definitely something I look forward to!

These Pumpkin Banana Muffins are the perfect way to do this while leaning into the seasonal produce.

This recipe is straightforward and easy to follow and once they’re baked, you have snacks for several days already prepared!

These muffins are:

• easy to make
• fall-inspired
• moist and soft
• flavour-packed
• convenient and transportable for busy days
• freezer friendly

 

Ingredients for Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins

All you need to make these pumpkin muffins is:

• All purpose flour
  • Make it gluten-free by using equal parts of Bob Red Mills 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.
• Light brown sugar
• Ripe bananas
  • I recommend using ripe bananas to add some extra natural sweetness to these cookies.
  • Baking hack: buy a couple extra bananas when you’re doing your grocery run so that when they become ripe, they’re perfect for baking. Use them in the moment or peel them, pop them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer until you need them for these muffins.
• Pumpkin puree
  • This recipe calls for pumpkin puree but if you accidentally have pumpkin pie filling, this will work! You just may want to omit the extra cinnamon, since there are already spices in the pumpkin pie filling.
• Vegetable oil
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Cinnamon
• Baking powder, baking soda, salt
• Chocolate chips

Substitutions and alternative ingredients

If you don’t have some of the recommended ingredients or you would prefer to make some substitutions, here are my suggestions:

• Gluten free flour
  • Just swap to equal parts of Bob Red Mills 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.
• Other types of brown sugar
  • Any kind of brown sugar will work in this recipe.
• Pumpkin pie filling
  • If you accidentally bought pumpkin pie filling or you want to use up any leftovers, you can use this instead of pumpkin puree. Just omit the added cinnamon, since this will already be in the pumpkin pie filling.
• Greek yogurt
  • If you don’t have pumpkin puree available, you could use plain Greek yogurt instead.
• Butter
  • Instead of vegetable oil you could use equal parts melted butter.
• Pumpkin pie spice
  • This can be used in place of the cinnamon. There are some additional seasonings in pumpkin pie spice like ginger and allspice that will add extra flavour and dimension to the cookies.
• Milk chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
  • Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use milk or dark chocolate chips. You could also use mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks!

 

Canned or homemade pumpkin purée?

For time and simplicity sake, I decided to use canned pumpkin puree in these banana pumpkin muffins. Alternatively, if you would like to take it to the next level and make your own pumpkin purée at home, check out this how-to-guide for instructions! 

How to make Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins

These muffins are a seasonal twist on classic banana chocolate chip muffins. Here’s how to make the fall version:

1. Preheat oven to 325℉ and prepare a muffin tray with liners or by greasing it.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir in the chocolate chips. Mix well.
5. Pour the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let muffins cool for 5-10 minutes before enjoying!

 

How to store these muffins

You can store these muffins in a few different ways. They can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days. You can also freeze them to save for later!

Once the muffins have baked and cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container. This could be a glass or plastic container or even a freezer bag! Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, either take them out 1-2 hours in advance or microwave them for 30 seconds, or until they reach your preferred temperature and texture. Enjoy!

Pumpkin nutrition

As a non-diet dietitian, I encourage my clients and audience to include a variety of foods in their diet. Of course not everything we eat will have major nutrient benefits. However, it can be informative to learn more about what nutrients pumpkin provides.

• Fibre
  • excellent for digestion and cholesterol reduction.
• Vitamin A
  • beneficial for eyesight and supporting the immune system. It is found in huge amounts in pumpkin!
• Iron
  • used to make hormones, energy and hemoglobin, which transports oxygen around our body.
• Smaller amounts of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and calcium.

 

Dietary considerations

If you or someone you’re cooking for has dietary restrictions or you just prefer to make some adjustments to this recipe, here are ways to accommodate that!

• Gluten free: use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour instead of the regular all purpose flour.
• Dairy free: opt for dairy free chocolate chips.
• Oil free: use melted butter instead of oil.

 

Regardless of how you make them, I hope you love these Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins!

More muffin recipes!

• Carrot Apple Muffins
• Oatmeal Pear Muffins (blender muffins)
• Blueberry Rosemary Muffins
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Muffins
• Mocha Banana Muffins
• Peanut Butter Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Morning Glory Muffins

 

If you make these Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!