There’s something undeniably magical about autumn, and I wholeheartedly consider myself a “Fall girlie.” As soon as summer begins to wane, I find myself eagerly anticipating the arrival of cooler days, vibrant foliage, and the comforting scent of baking spices. It’s a season that calls for warm drinks, cozy sweaters, and, of course, a fresh batch of homemade muffins. You might even catch me restarting Gilmore Girls for the hundredth time, perfectly paired with one of these delightful pumpkin banana muffins.

While I absolutely adore my classic pumpkin muffins with streusel topping, I was inspired to create a new variation. The goal was to incorporate those perfectly ripe, spotty bananas that often accumulate in the kitchen, adding a natural sweetness and unparalleled moistness to the seasonal pumpkin flavor. The result is a hybrid that beautifully marries two beloved comfort foods: pumpkin and banana bread, in a convenient muffin form.

Beyond just flavor, I also wanted to elevate these muffins to achieve those coveted super tall, majestic muffin tops reminiscent of your favorite local bakery. Drawing inspiration from my successful bakery-style vanilla muffins, I implemented a few key tricks. This included adjusting the leavening agents by adding more baking powder to encourage an impressive rise, and crucially, strategic spacing of the muffins in the oven during baking. These methods ensure each muffin has ample room to expand upwards, creating that desirable domed top we all crave.

If you share my unwavering enthusiasm for all things pumpkin, be sure to explore more of my autumn-inspired recipes. You’ll love my chewy pumpkin cookies, perfect for a cozy afternoon, or perhaps my classic pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust for a festive dessert. And if you’re always on the hunt for delicious banana bakes, don’t miss my delightful raspberry banana muffins, offering a different fruity twist.

Why You’ll Adore These Pumpkin Banana Muffins!

• Super Simple & Convenient: This recipe is designed for ease and minimal cleanup. You literally need just one bowl to mix all the ingredients, making prep a breeze. Forget about dragging out heavy kitchen machinery; there’s no mixer required here. It’s a truly straightforward recipe, perfect for even the most novice baker looking to create impressive results with minimal fuss. This simplicity makes it a fantastic choice for a quick breakfast or a last-minute treat.
• Packed with Authentic Pumpkin Flavor: We’re talking about real, robust pumpkin goodness here! These muffins achieve their deep, comforting taste through a generous amount of 100% canned pumpkin puree, complemented by a carefully selected blend of warm fall spices. This combination creates a rich, aromatic profile that truly embodies the essence of autumn, making every bite a celebration of the season.
• Genuine Bakery-Style Muffins: Say goodbye to flat, unassuming muffins! I’ve incorporated several tried-and-tested techniques to guarantee these pumpkin banana muffins rise spectacularly, forming those coveted, towering muffin tops you often find in professional bakeries. These tricks, detailed in the recipe, will elevate your homemade muffins to a new level of visual appeal and delicious texture.

Gather Your Essential Ingredients

• Pumpkin Puree: This is a crucial ingredient for that authentic fall flavor. It’s imperative to use 100% pure canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling comes pre-sweetened and spiced, which will throw off the balance of this recipe and can sometimes lead to an artificial taste. Pure pumpkin puree provides the natural flavor and moistness we need. While I haven’t personally tested this recipe with homemade pumpkin puree, canned works perfectly.
• Overripe Bananas: The secret to truly flavorful and moist banana muffins lies in using overripe bananas. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots and freckles on their skins. Not only are these easier to mash into a smooth consistency, but they are also significantly sweeter and possess a more concentrated banana flavor compared to their less ripe counterparts. A helpful tip: if you have ripe bananas you can’t use immediately, simply peel and place them in your freezer. When you’re ready to bake these pumpkin banana muffins (or any banana recipe!), just let them thaw completely before mashing. I’ve successfully tested this recipe with both fresh and thawed frozen bananas, yielding equally delicious results.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: We’re employing a dynamic duo of leavening agents here to achieve those impressive muffin tops. While baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients, a generous amount of baking powder is key. It provides an initial rapid rise in the oven’s high heat, contributing significantly to the muffins’ light, airy texture and their desirable height. This combination ensures maximum lift and fluffiness.
• Neutral Oil: Opt for a neutral-flavored oil such as sunflower, vegetable, or canola oil. Using oil instead of solid fats like butter is a fantastic trick for muffins because it ensures they remain incredibly moist and tender for several days. Oil also helps create a lighter crumb. This is a technique I frequently use in many of my muffin recipes, including my popular cinnamon swirl muffins. I strongly advise against using olive oil or coconut oil, as their distinct flavors can overpower the delicate pumpkin and banana notes.
• All-Purpose Flour: For this specific recipe, I’ve only tested and recommend using standard all-purpose flour. Its protein content provides the perfect structure for these hearty muffins. Cake flour, with its lower protein content, would likely result in muffins that are too delicate and crumbly for the desired texture.
• Granulated Sugar: This simple ingredient is essential for sweetening our pumpkin banana muffins, balancing the earthy pumpkin and rich banana flavors, and contributing to a tender crumb.
• Kosher Salt: A touch of kosher salt is vital in baking as it enhances all the other flavors, preventing the muffins from tasting bland. A quick tip: not all kosher salts are created equal! I typically use Diamond Crystal, which has larger flakes and is less salty by volume than Morton Kosher Salt. If you’re using Morton, you might want to slightly reduce the amount.
• Warm Fall Spices (Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, Nutmeg): This blend is where the “fall flavor” truly shines.
  • Cinnamon: One of my absolute favorite baking spices, ground cinnamon is sweet with a subtle bitter edge, pairing beautifully with the sweetness of pumpkin and banana. It’s crucial for that classic pumpkin pie taste.
  • Cloves: Ground cloves are intensely sweet and pungent, so a small dash is all that’s needed to add depth and warmth without overwhelming the other flavors.
  • Ginger: Ground ginger is a magical spice that brightens and invigorates the entire pumpkin spice blend, adding a gentle heat and complexity that really makes the flavors pop.
  • Nutmeg: Another quintessential fall and winter spice, nutmeg is sweet, nutty, and highly aromatic. Like cloves, it’s quite potent, so use it in moderation to avoid an overpowering taste.

Recipe Variations: Substitutions & Delightful Additions

• Kosher Salt Alternative: If you don’t have kosher salt on hand, regular table salt can be used as a substitute. However, because table salt is finer and more concentrated, you should use half the amount specified in the recipe to avoid over-salting your muffins.
• Chocolate Chips: The combination of chocolate and pumpkin is a match made in heaven! Feel free to fold in anywhere from half a cup to a full cup of your favorite chocolate chips (dark, milk, or white chocolate) into the muffin batter for an extra layer of sweetness and texture.
• Chopped Nuts: For an added crunch and nutty flavor, incorporate your favorite chopped nuts. Pecans or walnuts are particularly complementary to pumpkin and banana, enhancing that comforting fall vibe. Add ½ to 1 cup of finely chopped nuts for best results.
• Flavor Extracts: Elevate the aromatic profile by experimenting with different extracts. Instead of vanilla, try swapping it out for maple extract to infuse your muffins with a delightful hint of maple syrup flavor, perfect for autumn. Almond extract could also offer a unique twist.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Shortcut: If you don’t have all the individual ground spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves) readily available, don’t worry! You can easily substitute them with 2 ½ teaspoons of a pre-made pumpkin pie spice blend for a quick and convenient option.
• Streusel Topping: To add an irresistible crunchy, buttery topping, consider preparing the streusel from my acclaimed pumpkin muffins with streusel recipe. It’s a fantastic way to add extra texture and flavor.

1. Step 1: Prepare Your Oven and Wet Ingredients. Begin by preheating your oven to a high temperature of 425°Fahrenheit (220°Celsius). This initial high heat is crucial for achieving those coveted tall muffin tops. Line two muffin pans with 12 paper liners, making sure to leave an empty cavity between each filled one to allow for maximum expansion. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients: pumpkin purée, perfectly mashed ripe bananas, neutral oil, granulated sugar, large eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk these together thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.

2. Step 2: Gently Combine Dry Ingredients. To the bowl of wet ingredients, add your dry components: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and your blend of warm spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until the dry ingredients are *just* incorporated into the wet. It’s vital not to overmix the batter, as this can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tough and dense muffins rather than light and fluffy ones. A few lumps are perfectly fine!

3. Step 3: Fill Your Muffin Cups Generously. Using a large cookie scoop or a spoon, evenly distribute the muffin batter among the prepared muffin cups. For those impressive bakery-style tops, make sure each muffin cup is filled generously, almost to the very top edge. This ensures they have plenty of batter to rise upwards and create that beautiful dome.

4. Step 4: Bake with a Temperature Change. If desired, sprinkle a pinch of sparkling sugar over the tops of the unbaked muffins for a beautiful shimmering finish and a slight textural crunch. Place the muffin pans into the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven and bake for an initial 5 minutes. This high heat provides an excellent initial lift. After 5 minutes, *without opening the oven door* (this is crucial to trap the heat and steam), immediately decrease the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 16-18 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. This temperature drop ensures the muffins bake through evenly without over-browning.

Expert Tips & Key Notes for Perfect Muffins

• Bake Only 6 Muffins at a Time (Per Tray): To achieve truly sky-high muffin tops, strategically leave an empty muffin cavity between each filled one on the baking tray. This provides ample space for the muffins to expand freely, ensuring they get more even heat distribution and better airflow. This trick prevents the muffins from crowding each other and promotes a superior rise, resulting in those desirable domed tops.
• Measure Flour Accurately: For best baking results, especially with muffins, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour by weight (grams). If you don’t have a scale (though they are inexpensive and a baker’s best friend!), remember to “fluff and sprinkle” your flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping directly from the bag. Scooping can compact the flour, leading to too much flour by volume, which will make your muffins dense and dry instead of light, fluffy, and moist.
• Avoid Overmixing the Batter: This is perhaps the most crucial rule for tender muffins! As soon as the wet and dry ingredients are just combined and no streaks of dry flour remain, stop mixing immediately. Overmixing activates the gluten in the flour, causing the muffins to become tough, chewy, and dense instead of having a wonderfully soft crumb. A few small lumps in the batter are perfectly acceptable and even preferred.
• Mashing Bananas Made Easy: For perfectly mashed bananas, I find that a simple fork or a potato masher works wonders. If you’re using thawed frozen bananas, they are often softer and practically mash themselves, requiring even less effort – a definite win in the kitchen! The goal is a relatively smooth consistency with perhaps a few small banana chunks for texture.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Always ensure your eggs and milk are at room temperature before starting the recipe. Room temperature ingredients emulsify more easily, creating a smoother, more uniform batter and ultimately leading to better-textured muffins. Plan ahead by taking them out of the fridge at least 30-60 minutes before you begin baking.

Delightful Serving Suggestions

• Ultimate Pumpkin Breakfast: For those who simply can’t get enough of pumpkin flavors during autumn, pair a warm pumpkin banana muffin with a creamy pumpkin pie smoothie. It makes for an incredibly satisfying and seasonally appropriate breakfast or a delightful afternoon snack.
• Impressive Brunch Table: These elegant bakery-style muffins are a fantastic addition to any breakfast or brunch spread. Serve them alongside other crowd-pleasers like fluffy apple waffles, a decadent brioche French toast casserole, comforting cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling, and my adorable mini pumpkin muffins for a truly memorable feast.
• Pumpkin Bread Alternative: If you’re craving a larger, sliceable bake rather than individual muffins, consider trying my rich and moist pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting. It offers a similar flavor profile but in a different format.
• Utilize Leftover Pumpkin Puree: Don’t let any leftover pumpkin puree go to waste! It’s perfect for making a homemade pumpkin spice sauce to swirl into your morning coffee or latte, bringing a touch of fall to your daily routine.

Storage & Freezing Instructions

To keep your pumpkin banana muffins fresh and moist, store the completely cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. For longer storage, transfer them to the refrigerator, where they will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

For extended enjoyment, these muffins freeze beautifully. Place the cooled muffins in a freezer bag or an airtight container, ensuring they are well-sealed to prevent freezer burn. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply let them thaw at room temperature or warm them gently in the microwave for a quick treat.

If you’ve made these irresistible pumpkin banana muffins, don’t keep it a secret! Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and a thoughtful review below to share your experience. I absolutely love seeing your culinary creations, so please tag me on Instagram @alpineella when you post your delicious results! You can also stay connected and find more baking inspiration by following along on Pinterest, Facebook, and TikTok!

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Ella Gilbert

Nutrition