Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Warm, cozy, and perfectly spiced, these Pumpkin Banana Muffins combine two classics into one irresistible treat! Soft, moist, and full of fall flavor, they’re the ultimate grab-and-go snack or breakfast.
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A Note from Kim
A Cozy Start to Your Day
Pumpkin banana muffins have quickly become one of my favorite fall treats. I love how the pumpkin keeps them soft and moist while the bananas add just the right touch of natural sweetness. Every time I pull a batch from the oven, the whole house fills with the warm, comforting aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin, it instantly feels like autumn.
I especially love making a double batch so I have some to enjoy throughout the week. They’re perfect for breakfast on busy mornings, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, or even as a sweet treat alongside a cozy cup of tea. My whole family adores these and they always disappear fast!
With love (and lots of good eats), 
Tried your recipe and wow, these came out amazing! Super moist, flavorful, and my husband couldn’t stop at one (or three!). Thanks a bunch!
— Dana
Looking for more fall muffin recipes? Try my classic pumpkin muffins or these delicious apple oatmeal muffins with a crumb topping!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Banana pumpkin muffins are soft, moist, and packed with cozy fall flavors. Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even a dessert with your coffee, they’re easy to whip up and will fill your kitchen with that amazing pumpkin-banana aroma. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them!
- Banana: Extra ripe for natural sweetness and moisture.
- Oil: Keeps the muffins soft and tender; any neutral oil or melted coconut oil works. I typically use a light olive oil, but vegetable oil or canola oil work great too. Melted butter is another option.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness with a touch of molasses depth.
- Eggs: They bind the batter and help with structure.
- Pumpkin Puree: Brings moisture, flavor, and that cozy fall vibe.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Baking Soda: Helps the muffins rise nice and fluffy.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and deepens flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Warm spices that make these taste like fall.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure without making them too dense. Whole wheat pastry flour is a good substitute.
- Turbinado Sugar: A crunchy, sparkly topping for extra texture. It’s optional but highly recommended!
Mix It Up!
Here are some fun variations and mix-ins for your pumpkin banana muffins:
- Chocolate Chips: Classic and delicious—mini or regular chips make these muffins extra indulgent.
- Nuts: Walnuts or pecans add crunch and a nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with pumpkin.
- Dried Fruit: Toss in raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates for a chewy surprise.
- Streusel Topping: Add a buttery cinnamon-sugar crumble on top before baking. The streusel topping from my banana apple muffins would be perfect!
- Cream Cheese Swirl: Drop spoonfuls of sweetened cream cheese into the batter and swirl for a cheesecake vibe.
- Coconut Flakes: Shredded coconut adds sweetness and texture.
- Seeds: Sprinkle pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds on top for crunch.
- Glaze Drizzle: A light maple or vanilla glaze once cooled for a bakery-style finish.
- Quick Bread: Craving that cozy pumpkin-banana goodness in a loaf? Give my pumpkin banana bread a try!
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 large (about 100g peeled) extra ripe banana
- 1/2 cup (100g) oil, use any variety you'd like
- 1 cup (213g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (235g) pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- turbinado sugar, optional for topping
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and fill muffin cups with liners or spray with non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl mash the banana, and add oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla, whisking or beating until smooth.
- Add the baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and flour into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, evenly divide batter into prepared muffin cups. You want muffin cups to be almost completely full. Top with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425ºF then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF. Bake for an additional 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool slightly before removing from pan. Continue cooling muffins on a wire rack.
Notes
- 2 cups flour (1-to-1 gluten-free flour will work), spoon in cup and level off with knife for accurate measurement
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
- 1/3 cup avocado oil, or olive oil or coconut oil
- 3/4 cup Lite and Sweet, or granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, or other non-dairy milk
- Optional for topping- 1 tablespoon Lite and Sweet or sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
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Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a muffin pan with butter or nonstick spray or line with paper baking cups.
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In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice; creating a well in the center. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, stir together oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, banana and milk.
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Add the liquid mixture to the well in the center of the flour and stir together until just combined. Do not overmix, as muffins may become tough.
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Spoon batter evenly into prepared baking cups. I use a large ice cream scoop. Sprinkle with remaining optional topping, if desired.
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Place pan in oven and immediately reduce heat to 375° F. Bake for about 25 minutes or until muffin tops are golden brown. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Move to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy with honey, butter, jam or even delicious without any spread!
Did you make this recipe?
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How to Make Pumpkin Banana Muffins
These muffins puff up beautifully, giving you that bakery-style look at home! Starting them in a hot oven and then lowering the heat helps them get those tall, golden tops while keeping the inside soft and tender.
Step 1: Mash the Banana. Start by mashing the banana with a potato masher, fork or mixer.
Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients. Add the oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla to a large bowl.
Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients. Whisk or beating the wet ingredients until smooth. Then, add the baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and flour into the bowl of the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Step 4: Add Batter to Muffin Pan. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, evenly divide batter into prepared muffin tin. You want muffin cups to be almost completely full. Add a sprinkle of turbinado sugar to the tops of the muffins.
Step 5: Bake. Bake for 5 minutes at 425ºF then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF. Bake for an additional 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool slightly before removing from pan. Continue cooling muffins on a wire rack.
Kim’s Top Tips
- Use super ripe bananas: The riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be.
- Measure the Flour Properly: To avoid dry or dense muffins, be sure to measure the flour using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method. Don’t scoop the flour directly out of the bag, which adds more flour into the cup.
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice: For the two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice that this recipe calls for, you can combine 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 lightly heaping tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 lightly heaping tsp ground ginger and 1/8 tsp of ground cloves or allspice.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Batter: Stir until just combined, over-mixing can make muffins dense and tough.
- Muffin Pan: My favorite muffin pan is this nonstick muffin pan from Williams Sonoma. No more worrying about batter sticking to the pan, your muffins will release easily, cleanup is quick, and you don’t even need paper liners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, homemade pumpkin works great, just be sure to cook and puree it until smooth, and drain off any excess liquid so your muffins don’t turn out too wet.
Yes, use a mini muffin pan, bake them for about 11-12 minutes.
Yes, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for a treat that’s safe for gluten-sensitive eaters. My favorite brand is King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Flour.
Storage Recommendations
- Room Temperature: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: If you’d like them to last a little longer, keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: To freeze, wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap or foil, then place them in a resealable freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
- Thawing & Reheating: Let frozen muffins thaw at room temperature, or warm them in the microwave for 20–30 seconds for that just-baked taste.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Enjoy This Fall
If you’re anything like me, one pumpkin recipe is never enough, so here are a few more favorites to keep the fall flavors coming!
If you try this, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
This will become a regular for our family. They were soft, moist and delicious. I added pecans and chocolate chips for that little extra something. I made them last night and they were gone by noon the next day.
Thanks again for a wonderful recipe.
Love the addition of pecans and chocolate chips! So happy to hear that your family enjoyed!
OBSESSED with these muffins! I’ve made them several times already. Such a big hit both at home and work!
That’s amazing!!
Tried your recipe and wow, these came out amazing! Super moist, flavorful, and my husband couldn’t stop at one (or three!). Thanks a bunch!
Delicious muffins and despite what seems like a small amount of pumpkin and banana, I can taste both! These are moist but not too much. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour and coconut sugar. I sprinkled pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on top but otherwise followed recipe as written. I think I might add some chocolate chips and/or walnuts to the next batch. They rose nicely and by the way, I always PAM my paper muffin holders to ensure a clean removal.
Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m so happy these turned out great for you!
As a lover of both bananas and pumpkin, this proved to be a fantastic recipe, thank you!! Super easy and appreciated by everyone in the family. Thanks again.
So glad you enjoyed!
I’ve tested countless muffin recipes trying to find one my kids would actually love — and this one’s the clear winner! The balance of banana and pumpkin is spot-on. Honestly, the best muffins ever!
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for your comment!
I just made these, and they turned out amazing! I used white sugar on top instead of turbinado, and it gave them the perfect sweet, crisp crust. Definitely a recipe I’ll be making again!
So happy to hear! Thanks so much for your feedback!
I love this recipe! It’s so good and the muffins turn out so moist and delicious every time. I seriously make these all the time. Always impressed with Kim’s recipes. 10/10!
What a sweet comment! So happy you like them!