Hello and welcome to the realm of pumpkin banana muffins. A combination so delicious, it will knock your Fall-lovin’ socks off. This ain’t no trip to flavor town, baby! It’s a full on vacation.
Got a couple of rotten bananas sitting on your counter? Got some pumpkin puree left over just wasting away in the bottom of the can? Yeah… I’ve been there and we’re gonna do something about that.
Why, oh why would I want to make these Pumpkin Banana Muffins?
Well, let’s dive headfirst into the very serious reasons.
- Waste not, want not: Hate seeing those lonely, overripe bananas go to waste? So do I! Banana bread has been their saviour till now. But darling, it’s time for a change. Enter pumpkin banana muffins. Here at Beat Bake Eat, we don’t waste food.
- Double Trouble: Why enjoy just pumpkin or banana when you can have both? This flavor combination is literally like a Fall explosion; no exaggeration. If you have not tried it yet, you have been missing out! Big time.
- Easy Peasy Pumpkin-Banana Squeezy: These muffins aren’t rocket science to make so don’t be intimidated. The spices in the ingredient list make the recipe look long but it’s actually quite simple.
Still not convinced? Let’s talk flavors.
We have two baddies, pumpkin and banana, that basically rule the Autumn baking Queendom (yes, I didn’t stutter). Wait… there’s apple too. But I already made pumpkin applesauce muffins and apple gets more than enough attention.
So anyways, why pit these two together when we can just combine them? This flavor combination is like Brad and Angelina (before the divorce obviously).
Top it off with a splash of vanilla, a good sprinkle of cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg and ginger, and we’re in business. If you have pumpkin spice on hand feel free to use it!
Obviously with these flavors and spices you know the aroma is so intoxicating. So yes, whatever you’re imagining in your head that is exactly what your house is going to smell like.
So there you have it, ladies and gents. Pumpkin Banana Muffins: your solution to overripe bananas and leftover pumpkin puree, all at the same time. Boom!
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
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Equipment
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 overripe medium bananas (equals to 1 cup)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- To a large mixing bowl add the bananas. Mash well with a fork (or with the whisk if soft enough).2 overripe medium bananas (equals to 1 cup)
- Add pumpkin puree. Mix well.1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- Add both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, all the spices, and the salt.1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Mix until fully combined.
- Beat in the oil, egg, and vanilla extract.1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the flour and mix gently until no dry streaks or pockets remain. Do not overmix.1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Prep the muffin pan; first by lining with muffin liners, then lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cups, about 3/4 full.
- Bake 24 - 25 mins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with fully baked crumbs.
- Cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Notes
Store in an airtight container. Or if muffins only need to be stored for a short period of time, a zip-top plastic bag will do. Note: These muffins do sweat. How long will they last?
Up to 2 days at room temperature and 3 days (possibly more) if kept in the fridge. These muffins spoil faster than your average baked good. The flavor enhances with time:
The taste is best when fully cooled and even better the next day!
The Baking Science Behind this Recipe
I’ve made a sh*t ton of banana baking recipes so I’m very familiar with how overripe bananas behave in regards to baking; the acidity of it, the flavor, the sweetness, and how it changes the texture of baked goods. I’m also very familiar with baking with store-bought canned pumpkin puree and these two ingredients are not similar but they do contrast each other.
The Difference Between Pumpkin & Bananas in Baking Recipes
While pumpkin and banana are both flavorful, the obvious difference between the two is that pumpkin puree is not sweet at all so when you bake with it you really need to pay attention to how much sugar you are using and that you are using enough or else your baked good will end up bland.
The not-so-obvious differences? Pumpkin puree has a higher percentage of water content (90%) than bananas do (75%) and it’s not acidic.
More water means your baked good tends to take longer to bake and depending on the amount of flour and other liquids in the recipe, chances are high that it could turn out with a gooey texture. I learned this the hard way but through trial and error I’ve expanded my knowledge on baking with pumpkin puree and I’ve been able to master developing recipes that result in the correct texture.
On to the next difference; the lack of acidity. Professional bakers love acidity because it not only enhances the flavor of many ingredients, it reacts well and strongly to leavening ingredients which results in beautifully risen muffins, cakes, breads, you name it! So when the main ingredient of your baked good does not have any acid there’s the possibility that it won’t have much flavor or it won’t rise properly.
In this recipe, the pumpkin is sharing the spotlight with the banana so the acidity from the bananas saves the day. Thank goodness. The molasses from the light brown sugar plays a role in this too.
And because these muffins are baked at 375°F (190°C) I didn’t have to worry about them not rising enough or collapsing after baking. The higher than average temperature forced the batter upwards which created the domes we all adore on muffins and it evaporated just enough of the water from the pumpkin puree while still keeping the muffins moist.
Checkout my Foolproof Pumpkin Muffins
And my Banana Muffins too!
