Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Fall has arrived and I am here for it! It’s time to turn on the oven to make date and orange scones, Dutch oven apple crisp, and these pumpkin banana muffins.

If you like moist banana muffins, you will love them! One of my favorite seasonal recipes, the muffins are tender, buttery, and not too sweet. A simple pumpkin spice streusel topping turns a basic recipe into a festive cool weather treat.

Choose bananas with spotted or entirely black peels for this recipe. The darker the banana peels, the more intense the flavor will be. Also, the pumpkin spice streusel topping is optional. I love the taste of spice in the streusel, however, you can just add pumpkin spice to the muffin batter if you want to skip the sweet topping.

💞 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✔️ It’s got some of falls best flavors all wrapped into one cute little package!
✔️ They’re a good way to use up those black bananas in your freezer.
✔️ The recipe is easy and made in one bowl.

📋 Ingredients

For The Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Ingredient Notes

• Brown Sugar: This ingredient adds a rich molasses flavor to the muffins. Look for dark brown sugar, sometimes called “old-fashioned brown sugar”.
• Overripe Bananas: These are the secret to the muffin’s natural sweetness and moist texture. The riper the banana, the sweeter and more pronounced its flavor will be in the muffin. I let my bananas turn completely black on the outside before I throw them in the freezer indefinitely. Use bananas that have at least some black spotting. Thaw frozen bananas at room temperature or defrost gently in the microwave.
• Pumpkin Purée: This adds moisture and a subtle sweetness to the muffins. When selecting pumpkin purée, ensure it’s pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. If you’re feeling adventurous, making homemade pumpkin purée from freshly roasted pumpkins can elevate the flavor even more. I find cans of pumpkin purée are usually quite large, so I measure out one cup of pumpkin puree for the recipe and freeze the rest in a zipper-top bag.

For The Pumpkin Spice Streusel

Ingredient Notes

• Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can usually find this in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.

It’s important to note when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavor may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options if you are looking to change the original recipe.

Ingredient Substitutions

• All-Purpose Flour: You can substitute some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, however, substituting it one-for-one may yield tough dry muffins. I would recommend swapping only half of the AP. I haven’t tried making this recipe gluten-free.
• Brown Sugar: If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, raw cane sugar or coconut sugar can be great substitutes, offering a different kind of sweetness while keeping the muffins moist.
• Butter: You can use good quality dairy-free butter or margarine instead of butter if you like.
• Pumpkin: Make homemade pumpkin purée with freshly roasted pumpkin if you don’t want to use canned.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: Good substitutes for pumpkin pie spice are apple pie spice or cinnamon.
• Baking Soda: You can use baking powder in place of baking soda.

🗣Expert Tips

1. For the best flavor, use bananas that are at least partially spotted or black.
2. You don’t need a cookie scoop. Use a spoon if that’s what you have.
3. You don’t have to mix the flour in a separate bowl. You can add the dry ingredients individually after mixing in the pumpkin.

📝 Recipe Notes

• To test your banana pumpkin muffins for doneness, 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 a 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.
• Storage: These muffins will stay fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze them in a large zipper-top bag and simply thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.

Convert The Recipe To Make Pumpkin Banana Bread

To convert this muffin recipe into pumpkin banana bread, you can follow these general guidelines:

1. Pan Size: Instead of a muffin tin, use a standard loaf pan (usually around 9×5 inches).
2. Baking Time: Loaves take longer to bake than muffins. While the muffins take around 20 minutes, a loaf can take anywhere from 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. It’s essential to keep an eye on it and do the toothpick test: insert a toothpick into the center of the bread, and if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the bread is done.
3. Temperature: You can start baking at the same temperature (425ºF or 220ºC) for the first 15 minutes to get a nice rise and then reduce the temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) for the remainder of the baking time to ensure the inside cooks thoroughly without the outside getting too dark. I like to place an aluminum foil tent over my loaves for the first half of baking time to prevent the top from becoming overdone.
4. Mixing: The method of mixing and the order of ingredients would remain the same.
5. Streusel Topping: If you’re using the streusel topping from the muffin recipe, sprinkle it over the top of the batter in the loaf pan before baking. It will give the bread a delightful crunchy top.
6. Cooling: Once baked, allow the bread to cool in the loaf pan for about 10-15 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial as it prevents the bread from becoming soggy.

🙋‍♀️ Recipe FAQ