If you’re looking for the perfect simple fall muffin, look no further than these pumpkin banana muffins. With simple ingredients, a super moist crumb and an irresistible streusel topping, they’re everything you’re looking for in a seasonal bake.
Everyone loves a good pumpkin baked good when the cooler temps of September hit. I’m no different but if I’m being honest, my garden is also still exploding with zucchini right now so I feel a bit torn between two seasons. That’s what inspired the simplicity of these pumpkin muffins.
They’re made with basic ingredients but bring a bakery-like vibe with cinnamon infused streusel topping that makes them a little more exciting than your average muffin. Think of these as a cross between the ease of banana bread and the warming seasonal vibes of your favorite pumpkin spiced goodie.
Best Pumpkin Banana Muffin Features
- One bowl preparation
- Easy pantry ingredients
- Super moist crumb
- Perfectly balanced sweetness
- Enjoyable for breakfast, snack or dessert
Ingredient Notes
This isn’t a comprehensive ingredient list — you can find that in the recipe card at the bottom of this post — but I want to highlight a few important things in this recipe.
- Pumpkin — You can used either homemade pumpkin puree from roasting a pumpkin and mashing it or canned. If using canned make sure to choose pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which is already sweetened and spiced.
- Bananas — The riper the bananas are you use, the more sweetness they will have. If your bananas are overly ripe and brown, you may want to decrease the amount of brown sugar slightly to accommodate.
- Flour — The recipe is written using regular flour, but you can certainly swap it out for your favorite gluten-free mix. I typically use King Arthur’s measure for measure gluten-free flour in this pumpkin banana muffin recipe.
- Spices — You can use pumpkin pie spice as a shortcut instead of each individual spice.
Making Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Below are the step by step directions for making these muffins. For the full recipe ingredients and directions, scroll down to the bottom of this post.
- This is a one bowl muffin recipe so grab a large bowl and add the banana, pumpkin, sugar and oil.
- Once combined, add the eggs and whisk again until incorporated into the batter.
- Add all the dry ingredients and the vanilla extract then stir gently to combine, careful not to over work the batter.
- Combine the streusel topping in a small bowl so it’s ready for the muffins once you scoop them into the tin.
- Line a muffin tin with parchment liners and use a cookie dough scoop or large spoon to fill each tin about 3/4 full.
- Sprinkle the streusel generously on top of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean when done.
- Let the muffins cool on a wire rack before serving.
My Pro Tips
Make The Best Muffins
- Not over-mixing the batter is important as it can result in a dense muffin. These pumpkin banana muffins should be light, fluffy and super moist.
- Adjust the sugar to your taste. I will sometimes reduce down to just 1/2 cup of sugar, especially if my bananas are very ripe. The recipe is forgiving enough to accommodate this adjustment.
- If using homemade pumpkin puree, strain it for a bit to drain any excess water. Canned pumpkin puree tends to be a little thicker than homemade and the excess water can alter the recipe.
Variations
I personally love the simplicity of these muffins, but there are a handful of ways to make them your own:
- Chocolate chips: probably the most obvious addition because pumpkin and chocolate chips go wonderfully together like in this pumpkin banana chocolate chip bread and these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
- Nuts: another classic combination is pumpkin and nuts. Chopped pecans and walnuts are two great options. These pumpkin chocolate chip bars show off how great walnuts can be. You can even add some to the streusel topping for some crunch.
- Dried fruit: Similar to these sweet potato oat bars, dried cherries, cranberries, raisins or blueberries would all go well in these muffins too.
- Zucchini: I know this sounds crazy, but if you’re making in these in September and still have a pile of zucchini that needs to be used, you can absolutely hide some grated zucchini in these muffins too. Treat it like an add-in and don’t use more than 1/2 cup. Also make sure to squeeze all the excess water out of it. I use a nut milk bag for this and it’s the best!
Storage
Store these pumpkin banana streusel muffins at room temperature for 3-4 days. After that, keep any leftover refrigerated.
You can also freeze the muffins after they’ve cooled completely from baking. They’ll keep for about 3 months and can be thawed at room temperature or popped in the microwave to speed things up.
More Pumpkin Treats To Make Right Now
Pumpkin streusel bread
Pumpkin biscotti
Pumpkin pie fudge
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 2 bananas
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the streusel crumble
- 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the mashed banana, pumpkin puree, brown sugar and olive oil. Mix well until combined.
- Add the eggs and beat by hand until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and vanilla extract. Stir gently until combined; do not over-mix.
- Prepare the crumble in another small bowl by mixing the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and mix with your hands or the back of a fork until you get a sandy texture.
- Line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill each one about ¾ full with batter. Sprinkle generously with the crumble topping.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
