It’s the time of year for fall baking, and these moist, streusel-topped Banana Pumpkin Muffins are an excellent way to kick things off. They’re loaded with both banana and pumpkin flavors for the best of both worlds, and toe the line between breakfast and dessert.
I don’t know about y’all, but I’m one of those “basic” girls who loves just about all things pumpkin. As soon as it hits the shelves at Aldi, I buy it by the case! Between my homemade Starbucks pumpkin sauce, easy bread machine pumpkin bread, and fluffy pumpkin protein pancakes, this last week has been filled with the gourd-geous orange hue of autumn.
While I love my healthy pumpkin banana protein muffins, I was in the mood for more of a treat. These tender muffins absolutely fit the bill—they’re sweet enough to pass as cake, and the buttery pumpkin streusel topping is 🤌chef’s kiss delicious. So, if you too are ready to welcome pumpkin season, I hope you enjoy this muffin recipe as much as we do!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Pumpkin Banana Muffins
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Banana & Pumpkin Muffins
- Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Expert Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage & Reheating Instructions
- FAQs
- More Easy Muffin Recipes
- Moist Banana & Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
- 💬 Reviews
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Pumpkin Banana Muffins
- Easy Method - There’s no fancy kitchen tricks here, and you don’t even need to bust out any appliances. You’ll have them in the oven in just 15 minutes!
- Simple Ingredients - No need to make a special grocery store run—chances are you already have everything you need!
- Fun Fall Mashup - These tender muffins taste like a hybrid of your favorite banana bread and pumpkin bread recipes. They’re bursting with warm fall flavors, but have pops of sweet banana studded throughout.
Ingredients & Substitutions
These banana pumpkin muffins are made with mostly pantry staples. Here’s what to grab:
- Hulled Pumpkin Seeds - I prefer mine to be sprouted, roasted, and *lightly* salted, but you’re welcome to use whatever kind you like. Feel free to swap in sunflower seeds or the chopped nuts of your choice.
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour - For a boost of fiber and a subtle nutty flavor. Don't have any on hand? You can mix up a 50/50 blend of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour instead.
- Brown Sugar - Feel free to use either light or dark brown sugar. You can also use less refined options like grated jaggery or piloncillo.
- Butter - If possible, use grass-fed for the best flavor and nutrition. You can swap in unsalted butter if you like!
- Canned Pumpkin Purée - Make sure you're grabbing pure pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. You can also use canned or frozen sweet potato purée or butternut squash purée.
- Bananas - Overripe bananas are great for mashing, while slightly less ripe bananas are better for chopping. The number you’ll need will depend on the size of the bananas—make sure you measure out enough for the mashed portion, then add the chunks to taste.
- Large Eggs - If you’re using liquid eggs from a carton, you’ll need a scant ¼ cup per egg.
- Maple Syrup - For adding moisture and sweetness without totally blowing your blood sugar up. Feel free to swap in agave or honey, though you may miss the autumnal charm of maple.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda - You’ll need both kinds of leavener to get these pumpkin banana muffins to rise.
- Ground Turmeric & Pumpkin Pie Spice - Turmeric adds a lovely hue and an extra hint of flavor. You’re welcome to swap in the warm spices of your choice (e.g. ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, or allspice, or a blend like chai masala or haiwaj).
- Vanilla Extract - For added warmth and a dessert-y feel. You can use an equal amount of vanilla paste or powder if needed.
- Fine Sea Salt - A little extra salt helps awaken the natural sweetness of the pumpkin and banana. You’re welcome to use kosher salt instead.
How To Make Banana & Pumpkin Muffins
These delicious muffins come together with just about 10-15 minutes of prep. Here’s how:
Step 1: Make Pumpkin Streusel. Whisk together dry streusel ingredients, breaking up any solid bits of flour or sugar. Cut in cold butter, using fingers to rub the mixture as needed until a crumbly consistency forms and all dry ingredients have been moistened with the butter.
Step 2: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin pan with paper muffin liners. Spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Step 3: Brown Butter over medium-low heat, keeping an eye on it. Swirl as needed to see the milk solids. It will smell nutty when ready. Set aside to cool.
Step 4: Dry Ingredients. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, ensuring they're well-combined and uniform.
Step 5: Add the pumpkin purée and mashed bananas to the melted butter, whisking to combine.
Step 6: Remaining Wet Ingredients. Add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to the wet mixture, or transfer the wet ingredients to a large bowl if needed.
Step 7: Mix the flour mixture with the wet ingredients, stirring until there are no more streaks of flour.
Step 8: Fold in chopped bananas.
Step 9: Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups using a spring-loaded disher/cookie scoop. The muffin batter should nearly fill the well, about ⅞ths of the way. Top each muffin with a generous amount of crumble, scooping any that falls to the sides back on top of the muffin and pressing down gently.
Step 10: Bake muffins for 22-26 minutes, until the streusel is golden, the tops of the muffins spring back slightly when you press on them, and a wooden toothpick stuck in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Step 11: Cool & Enjoy. Let cool in the tins for about 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy warm or room temperature.
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
As much as I love these fall muffins just the way the recipe is written, I want as many folks out there to be able to enjoy it with me! Here are a few ideas of how to tweak the recipe to suit your needs:
- Gluten-Free - I haven’t tried it, but you should be able to swap in a cup-for-cup all-purpose flour mixture. Just make sure it has either xanthan gum or gellan gum, which helps to replicate the structure that gluten provides. Also, don’t forget to rest the batter for 30 minutes before baking—GF flour needs a bit more time to rehydrate than wheat flour.
- Dairy-Free - Vegan butter is a perfect 1-to-1 swap!
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins - I haven't tried it, but I think vegan liquid eggs (e.g. JUST Eggs) should work just as well here.
- All Pumpkin - If you're not a fan of bananas, you're welcome to swap in more pumpkin purée for the mashed bananas and omit the chopped ones.
- Add-Ins - Feel free to swap out the chunks of bananas for your preferred mix-in—toasted pecans, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, or maple sugar chunks are all fair game.
Expert Tips
- Get ready to share (or freeze). This banana pumpkin muffin recipe is really yummy but makes a whole lot—16 standard muffins. I'm pretty sure it would equate to 12 jumbo/Texas muffins, but I don't have a pan to test this theory out.
- Streusel smarts. The topping is pretty crumbly and prone to falling off, so gently pressing it on the muffin tops helps a bit.
- Nonstick spray is your friend. It may feel redundant, but I recommend you spray your paper liners and the top of the muffin tin to ensure not a single crumb of these delicious pumpkin banana muffins gets lost in the shuffle.
- Practice precision. Use a kitchen scale for the best results. If you don't have one, make sure to fluff the flour, spoon it into your measuring cup without pressing down, then level the top with your finger or a butter knife.
- Waste not, want not. You won't need a whole can of pumpkin puree, so save the rest for other pumpkin recipes like my healthy pumpkin pecan waffles, decidedly less healthy pumpkin cheesecake ice cream, or adorable peanut pumpkin dog treats.
Serving Suggestions
These fluffy muffins are stars in their own right and can be served solo for an easy snack. That said, they’re also delicious split open, served warm, and topped with a pat of butter or smeared with maple butter.
If you’d like them to be part of your morning routine, I recommend pairing them with a DIY pumpkin spice latte and some Greek yogurt on the side for added staying power.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- These banana pumpkin streusel muffins will keep well in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for 4-5 days. I recommend storing them in a single layer to prevent the streusel from pulling off.
- They can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks. Just make sure to use a freezer bag and press out the air to ward off freezer burn. If you don't have freezer-safe bags, you can individually wrap the muffins in plastic wrap before placing in a ziptop bag for an extra layer of protection.
- To serve, either defrost at room temperature or warm in a toaster oven.
FAQs
I think the natural sweetness of the pumpkin is enhanced by the banana while still maintaining the pumpkin spice appeal. If you want to tone the banana flavor down a bit, you don't need to add the chopped banana pieces.
While you're welcome to use your own pumpkin puree, canned versions tend to have a more uniform moisture content. For the best results, I recommend sticking to canned.
Muffins are one of those foods that run the gamut between healthy snack to cake in disguise. While I tried to make this recipe a little bit healthier by using whole wheat pastry flour and trying to keep the added sugar to a minimum, the buttery streusel topping definitely tips these banana and pumpkin muffins towards the cakier end of the spectrum. Looking for something a little less sweet? Check out my recipe for healthy pumpkin banana muffins!
You have a few options depending on your time constraints. If you have a day or two, place them in a paper bag with another ethylene-producing fruit (e.g. an apple, avocado, or peach) to speed the process. If you’re short on time, preheat the oven to 350ºF, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the unpeeled bananas on the tray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the skins get black—they’ll be too soft for eating out of hand, but perfect for mashing into these pumpkins. Finally, you can also prick whole, unpeeled bananas with a fork and microwave them in a bowl for about 2 minutes. While this does help to soften them, it doesn’t help concentrate the natural sugars like the first two methods, so this should only be used as a last resort.
If the top of the muffins are getting dark before the inside bakes, you’re likely cooking them at too high of a temperature. I recommend investing in an oven thermometer (I love the DOT) to ensure your oven is actually the temperature it says. You can also place a piece of aluminum foil lightly over the top of the muffins to shield them from getting any darker.
Whoops! Sounds like you didn’t quite bake them enough. Remember to do the toothpick test before they come out of the oven, or lightly press the tops and make sure they spring back.
It depends on your definition of healthy—I personally think they’re both great! Pumpkin is lower in calories and carbs per serving, but it’s about equal to bananas on the fiber front. Bananas are rich in potassium, B6, and vitamin C, while pumpkins are rich in vitamins A, C, & E, as well as iron and calcium.
More Easy Muffin Recipes
Moist Banana & Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Kitchen Scale or Measuring Cups
- Mesuring Spoons
- Muffin Tin 1.5 regular or 1 jumbo
- Large Spring-Loaded Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
Pumpkin Streusel Topping
- 100 g Pumpkin Seeds ⅔ cup; preferably sprouted, roasted, and *lightly* salted
- 63 g Whole Wheat Pastry Flour ½ cup; or whole wheat flour
- 50 g Brown Sugar ¼ cup; either light or dark
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt or kosher salt
- 4 tablespoon Cold Butter ½ stick; 57 grams; preferably grass-fed
Pumpkin & Banana Muffins
- ½ C Butter 1 stick; 114 grams; preferably grass-fed
- 290 g Whole Wheat Pastry Flour 2 cups; or 50/50 blend of AP flour and whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt or kosher salt
- 3 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice or warming spice blend of choice (e.g. cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, etc. or chai masala, haiwaj)
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 200 g Brown Sugar
- 240 g Canned Pumpkin Purée 1 cup; or sweet potato/butternut squash purée
- 26 g Mashed Banana ½ cup; about 1 large banana
- 3 Large Eggs
- 159 g Maple Syrup ⅔ cup; 150mL
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1-2 Bananas chopped
Instructions
- Make Pumpkin Streusel. Whisk together dry streusel ingredients, breaking up any solid bits of flour or sugar. Cut in cold butter, using fingers to rub the mixture as needed until a crumbly consistency forms and all dry ingredients have been moistened with the butter.100 g Pumpkin Seeds, 63 g Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, 50 g Brown Sugar, 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice, ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt, 4 tablespoon Cold Butter
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Brown Butter over medium low heat, keeping an eye on it. Swirl as needed to see the milk solids. It will smell nutty when ready. Set aside to cool.½ C Butter
- Whisk together the dry ingredients, ensuring they're well-combined and uniform.290 g Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt, 3 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice, ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric, 200 g Brown Sugar
- Add the pumpkin purée and mashed banana to the browned butter, whisking to combine.240 g Canned Pumpkin Purée, 26 g Mashed Banana
- Add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to the wet mixture.3 Large Eggs, 159 g Maple Syrup, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Mix together the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring until all pockets of dry ingredients have been fully incorporated.
- Fold in chopped bananas.1-2 Bananas
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups using a spring-loaded disher/cookie scoop. The batter should nearly fill the well, about ⅞ths of the way. Top each muffin with a generous amount of crumble, scooping any that falls to the sides back on top of the muffin and pressing down gently.
- Bake muffins for 22-26 minutes, until the streusel is golden, the muffins spring back slightly when you press on them, and a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in the tins for about 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy warm or room temperature.
Notes
- Gluten-Free - I haven’t tried it, but you should be able to swap in a cup-for-cup all-purpose flour mixture. Just make sure it has either xanthan gum or gellan gum, which helps to replicate the structure that gluten provides. Also, don’t forget to rest the batter for 30 minutes before baking—GF flour needs a bit more time to rehydrate than wheat flour.
- Dairy-Free - Vegan butter is a perfect 1-to-1 swap!
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins - I haven't tried it, but I think vegan liquid eggs (e.g. JUST Eggs) should work just as well here.
- All Pumpkin - If you're not a fan of bananas, you're welcome to swap in more pumpkin purée for the mashed bananas and omit the chopped ones.
- Add-Ins - Feel free to swap out the chunks of bananas for your preferred mix-in—toasted pecans, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, or maple sugar chunks are all fair game.
- These banana pumpkin streusel muffins will keep well in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for 4-5 days. I recommend storing them in a single layer to prevent the streusel from pulling off.
- They can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks. Just make sure to use a freezer bag and press out the air to ward off freezer burn. If you don't have freezer-safe bags, you can individually wrap the muffins in plastic wrap before placing in a ziptop bag for an extra layer of protection.
- To serve, either defrost at room temperature or warm in a toaster oven.
Nutrition
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