Pumpkin Banana Muffins
I always feel inspired to make these pumpkin banana muffins when the pumpkin displays start showing up at Dave’s Valley Fruit and Mabou Gardens here in Dartmouth. Driving by, they’re a clear reminder that fall has arrived and it’s time to bake something warm and simple in the kitchen.
These muffins are moist and tender, not overly sweet, and are made with everyday pantry ingredients and canned pumpkin purée, not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling. I prefer using bananas with blackened peels, as I find the darker they are, the stronger the banana flavour. I always have 5 or 6 in my freezer. I like to top these muffins with a simple brown sugar streusel, which elevates them from an everyday snack to something that feels a little more festive for the season.
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Ingredients For Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Ingredient Notes
- Baking Soda: Check that it’s within date, as old baking soda won’t give enough lift.
- Bananas (Overripe): Use bananas with peels that are mostly black, or at least have a lot of spots, for the deepest banana flavour.
- Butter: I use salted butter for all of my recipes.
- Eggs: I use large eggs for all of my recipes.
- Pumpkin Purée: Make sure to use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Salt: I use table salt for all of my recipes.
- Sugar (Brown): Dark brown sugar, sometimes called old-fashioned brown sugar, is best for the streusel and adds moisture to the muffins.
- Vanilla Extract: Use any vanilla you like or have on hand.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour: You can use the same amount of cake & pastry flour.
- Baking Soda: Substitute with 1 tablespoon of baking powder.
- Butter: Replace with the same amount of unsalted butter or margarine.
- Pumpkin Purée: You can substitute with homemade pumpkin purée or cooked, mashed sweet potato.
- Salt: Fine sea salt is a perfect substitute for table salt.
- Sugar (Brown): Replace with the same amount of granulated sugar.
- Sugar (Granulated): Use the same amount of brown sugar instead.
- Vanilla: Substitute with 1 ½ teaspoons of maple extract.
Recipe Variations
Try any of the following for a twist on this banana pumpkin muffins recipe:
- Candied Ginger: 2 tablespoons, finely chopped, stir into the batter
- Chocolate Chips: ¾ cup, semisweet, stir into the batter with the flour
- Coconut: ½ cup, unsweetened, shredded, mix into the dry ingredients
- Dried Cranberries: ½ cup, add when combining wet and dry ingredients
- Nuts: ¾ cup, chopped walnuts or pecans, fold into the batter just before filling muffin cups
- Orange Zest: 1 tablespoon, finely grated, whisk into the wet ingredients
- Spices: Up to 1 tablespoon, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or homemade chai spice, whisk into the flour mixture
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How To Make Pumpkin Banana Muffins
STEP 1: Whisk the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a second bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and both sugars.
STEP 2: Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between each. Add the bananas and mash them smooth with a fork. A few small lumps are okay.
STEP 3: Add the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix.
STEP 4: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Switch to a spoon or spatula and fold the batter together until the flour just disappears.
STEP 5: Scoop the batter into a 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper muffin cups.
STEP 6: Mix the dry streusel ingredients in a bowl. Use your fingertips or a fork to rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
STEP 7: Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the muffin batter.
STEP 8: Bake the muffins until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before transferring directly to the rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- If you’re using frozen bananas, you can thaw them in the skins in the microwave at 50% power, heating in 30-second bursts.
- Thawed bananas often release extra liquid, just pour it all into the bowl with the fruit.
- Make sure you use cold butter for the streusel. This is what makes the topping crisp and crunchy in the oven.
Recipe Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements and an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is heating correctly.
- Let your bananas ripen until the skins are very dark, almost black, for the best flavour.
- Mix the streusel just until crumbly, leaving some larger clumps for a crunchy topping.
Storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
- For longer storage, place the muffins in a sealed container in the freezer for up to two months.
Recipes Related To Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Printable Recipe Card
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Special Equipment
- 12-cup standard muffin tin
- Paper muffin/cupcake wrappers
- 2 Mixing bowls plus 1 small bowl for streusel
- Electric hand mixer optional
- Fork
- 1 2-tablespoon capacity cookie dough scoop optional
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For The Pumpkin Banana Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, plus extra for greasing the muffin tin
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 bananas, overripe, approximately 200g with the skins removed
- 1 cup pumpkin purée , not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For The Pumpkin Spice Streusel
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons butter, softened
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Generously grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter. Line the tin with paper muffin wrappers and set aside.
- Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-large bowl. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Add the butter and both sugars to a mixing bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer to cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs to the bowl, one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
- Add the bananas to the butter mixture and mash them with a fork. Add the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract to the bowl. Use the electric mixer to mix everything together.
- Add the flour to the bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon and gently stir the muffin until the flour is just mixed in.
- Use a cookie dough scoop to portion the batter evenly between the 12 prepared muffin cups.
- Make The Pumpkin Spice Streusel—Use your hands to all of the streusel ingredients until crumbly and combined.
- Sprinkle all of the streusel evenly over the 12 pumpkin banana muffins. Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake the muffins for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350ºF (180ºC) and continue to bake 5 to 7 minutes more. Transfer the tin to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before turning the muffins out onto the rack to cool completely. Pumpkin banana muffins are best served warm with a smear of butter.
Recipe Notes
- To test muffins with a toothpick, insert a toothpick down into the top of a muffin as far as you can. Gently pull the toothpick out of the muffin. If any wet batter is clinging to the toothpick the muffins are not ready. Return them to the oven and continue to check every few minutes.
- If you want stronger banana flavor use three bananas.
- If you like larger chunks of streusel, don’t soften the butter. Mix firmer butter with the other ingredients using a fork or your fingers until combined.
- If you really love pumpkin spice, add a teaspoon or two to the muffin batter when you mix the dry ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Kelly Neil is a recipe developer, food photographer, and lifelong Nova Scotian building a sense of home and identity through recipes. She lives in her hometown of Dartmouth with her partner, Chris, their daughter, Elodie, and their little dog, Skipper.
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I wish you could smell the house right now. Amazing! I added some oat flakes and some pepitas to the streusel topping. A perfect fall recipe to sit down with along with a good cup of tea.