Pumpkin Banana Muffins are a cross between pumpkin muffins and banana bread that is out-of-this-world delicious! These pumpkin-spiced muffins are moist and fluffy, and simple to make from scratch.
This quick and easy pumpkin banana muffin recipe is a combination of two of my all-time favorite muffin recipes: Pumpkin Muffins and Banana muffins. Adding both pumpkin puree and mashed banana to the muffins makes them insanely tender and moist, but fluffy at the same time.
I have a tasty recipe for banana strawberry muffins that you should try too. It’s perfect for summertime when strawberries are in season.
And banana pumpkin muffins are perfect for fall, when pumpkin-spice everything is in season! Make sure you try my pumpkin spice fudge and classic soft pumpkin cookies too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You only need one banana – This might not be the biggest deal to everyone, but for some reason, I often end up with just one overripe banana. One banana is not usually enough to make banana muffins or banana bread, but it is perfect for pumpkin banana muffins!
- Simple Ingredients – If you’ve been doing any kind of baking this fall, you probably have all of the ingredients for these muffins already in your pantry. If not, stock up on canned pumpkin puree and mix up a batch of pumpkin pie spice so you’ll be ready.
- Easy To Make – Muffin recipes are some of the easiest baked goods to make. Simply mix up all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss them in the oven! You’ll be enjoying these sweet pumpkin spiced muffins in around half an hour plus cooling time.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make the best banana and pumpkin muffins:
- Banana & Pumpkin: You will need one ripe banana, and pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- Spices: You can use pumpkin pie spice, or a combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Sugar: To keep these muffins soft and moist, I’m using half brown sugar and half regular granulated sugar.
- Milk: It’s not super important that you use a certain type of milk, it’s in the recipe to add moisture. You can substitute it with juice, water, or non-dairy milk if you like.
- Egg: Let your large egg come to room temperature before mixing up the muffin batter. It will incorporate more smoothly that way.
- Flour: I used all purpose flour here, but I also tested this recipe using gluten free flour and it worked well (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour).
- Baking Powder: Along with the egg, this gives the muffins lift and a tender crumb. Be sure to use baking powder, not baking soda in this recipe.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Get ready to bake by preheating the oven to 350°F (180°C) and lining a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and salt. Stir or whisk to be sure it’s combined thoroughly.
- Mash the Banana: I like to put the banana in a separate mixing bowl and mash it with a fork. You can also mash it on a cutting board if that’s easier.
- Combine the Wet Ingredients: Add the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the mashed banana, and stir well with a whisk.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture, stirring just until everything is combined and there are no streaks of flour.
- Bake: Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to divide the muffin batter between the 12 spaces in the prepared pan, filling each muffin cup ¾ of the way. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
Tip!
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to cool down completely. This will save you from burning your fingers!
Recipe Tips
- Wait for the banana to be ready. The best bananas for baking will be ripe or overripe. This means that the banana is yellow and starting to form brown spots on the peel. If the banana is still green or just turning yellow, it’s not ready yet!
- If you’d rather not use paper liners, be sure to grease the muffin tin very well.
- Avoid overmixing. When putting together the muffin batter, stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients are no longer visible. A few small streaks of flour are okay, they’ll absorb with time. Overmixing will leave you with dry, tough muffins.
- The sugar can be adjusted. For extra sweet muffins, you can add a little bit of extra sugar. You can also add a bit less if you’d like the muffins to be less sweet.
- Fill the cups up properly. For muffins, you’ll want to fill each muffin cavity only ¾ of the way full. Overfilling them will cause the muffins to “mushroom” and stick to the pan.
Storing Tips
Once your muffins have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days this way.
What To Serve With Pumpkin Banana Muffins
You can enjoy muffins as a grab-and-go breakfast, a simple dessert, or as a tasty snack!
For breakfast, banana pumpkin muffins go perfectly with a hot cup of French press coffee or a healthy green smoothie.
These muffins are a perfect light finish to a cozy and hearty fall meal such as Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy, Cottage Pie, or Hamburger Potato Casserole.
Can I freeze Pumpkin Muffins?
Yes, these muffins (and most muffins) will freeze very well. I suggest wrapping each muffin individually in plastic wrap and then placing them in a ziptop / freezer bag in the freezer. Store for up to 3 months.
What Else Can I Add?
You can add all sorts of tasty mix-ins to this banana pumpkin muffin recipe. Try chopped walnuts, toasted almonds, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips!
How Do I Add Chocolate Chips to Banana Pumpkin Muffins?
Mix in about ¾ cup of regular or semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter before baking, and throw a few on top for good measure.
More Easy Muffin Recipes
All Desserts →
The best mashup of banana bread and pumpkin muffins, these pumpkin banana muffins are totally amazing! Make a batch today and enjoy them for breakfast tomorrow. You can even share them if you’re feeling generous!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Recipe Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin spice or 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium ripe banana mashed
- 1 cup (212 g) pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling (half a can)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk or water or orange juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C if using a fan oven, and line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease the wells well.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and salt. Stir to mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, mash the banana with a fork (or mash on a cutting board then add), then add the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture, stirring just until everything is combined and there are no streaks of flour.
- Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to divide the batter into muffin cups.
- Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
- If you’d rather not use paper liners, be sure to grease the muffin tin very well.
- Avoid overmixing. When putting together the muffin batter, stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients are no longer visible. A few small streaks of flour are okay, they’ll absorb with time. Overmixing will leave you with dry, tough muffins.
- Fill the cups up properly. For muffins, you’ll want to fill each muffin cavity only ¾ of the way full. Overfilling them will cause the muffins to “mushroom” and stick to the pan.
- To Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Carol says
Can’t find pumpkin puree…just the Libby’s pie filling…is that ok?
Diana says
Hi Carol, pumpkin pie filling already has spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, as well as sugar. So you will need to reduce sugar and spices. It also *might* affect the texture of the muffins because it is a bit more moist and less dense than pure pumpkin puree. So I don’t know how the muffins will turn out if you just swap the pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie filling as I haven’t tried that myself, but if you do, please share your experience with me.