A fall twist on the classic muffin, these simple pumpkin banana bread muffins are perfectly fluffy, perfectly moist, and perfectly spiced to give you all the flavors of fall in one bite!

pumpkin banana puffin on white towel with cinnamon and other muffins around it.

With the release of the Starbucks fall drink menu and the rows and rows of pumpkins, baskets, and fall decor at Hobby Lobby, it’s easy to see that fall is officially upon us. Unless, of course, you live in Texas where it is still over 100 degrees with no cool off in sight… it definitely doesn’t feel like fall.

Despite the warm weather, myself and just about every other blogger out there is fully embracing the fall flavors and releasing some seasonal recipes for you to enjoy! In general, I tend to gravitate towards the apple and pecan flavors of fall more than I do to the pumpkin flavors…

That is, until I made these perfect pumpkin banana bread muffins. Banana muffins or loaves are something that I bake in my home year round, and the subtle pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavor additions really bring out the seasonal side.

With hints of nutmeg and the oh so mild flavors of pumpkin, these banana and pumpkin muffins will be ones that your entire family will be asking for again and again! Plus, they make your house smell like fall and that is ALWAYS a win in my book!

Let’s get to the recipe:

Pumpkin banana muffins not your style?

No worries, you might like these pancake muffins with chocolate chips instead!

**Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins (from a mix!)**

Looking for another muffin recipe? Try these chocolate chip pancake muffins from a pancake mix!

Get the recipe

Why you’ll love these muffins:

No matter the time of year, there is just something so comforting about biting in to a banana bread muffin. That’s why they are always available in my home. Warmed up and topped with butter, you really can’t go wrong!

Now, stir in some seasonal pumpkin puree and sprinkle in those classic pumpkin spice flavors and you’ll find yourself with a cozy and comforting pumpkin banana bread muffin that’s perfect for fall. Even better! I think you’re going to love these subtle changes to a classic banana muffin because it’s:

Perfectly spiced: The key to fall flavors is NOT just the pumpkin but also the spices that give pumpkin its, well, spice! With cozy cinnamon, flavorful pumpkin pie spice, and spice from a dash of nutmeg, the spices really pull out the flavor of these pumpkin muffins.
A simple recipe: Despite their large amount of flavor, this recipe is actually very easy to make and pretty short on ingredients. The most important part is actually in the mixing, not just the ingredients… but we’ll get to that.
Family friendly: These pumpkin and banana muffins combine a lot of flavors that your family will love. While they do contain pumpkin spice spices, I kept the nutmeg amount very small so that it’s not overly spicy. Even my toddler runs to the fridge to get one of these muffins in the morning!
Freezer ready: These muffins can easily be stored in the freezer then set out to thaw in the refrigerator, thaw in a lunch box, or be warmed up in the microwave and topped with some butter or peanut butter.
A great way to use old bananas: We are team no food waste here at LTN and what better way to use up some bananas that are beyond their snacking days than by mixing up some pumpkin muffins with banana! You get delicious muffins and you avoid throwing away uneaten bananas.

I know you’re going to love these pumpkin and banana muffins! Let’s chat about the ingredients that you will need to pull them together:

pumpkin banana muffin sitting sideways in the baking tin.

Ingredients:

Here’s what you will need to make these banana and pumpkin muffins. Most of the ingredients are classic baking ingredients plus a few fall flavor additions:

Pumpkin puree: You want 100% pumpkin where the only ingredient is pumpkin.
2 ripe bananas: You want large bananas that are pretty spotty! The spottier they are, the sweeter the flavor… but also yes, there is such thing as a rotten banana so don’t go too crazy.
Egg
Oil: Choose a neutral flavored oil like canola oil or vegetable oil.
Vanilla extract: measured with the heart like always.
Brown sugar
Sugar
All purpose flour
Baking powder: We are going to be using both baking powder and baking soda in this recipe to help give the muffins a light and airy texture!
Baking soda
Salt
Spices: you will need ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg for this recipe.

ingredients needed to make banana and pumpkin muffins.

Step by Step Instructions:

While the ingredients for this recipe are important, the mixing of the batter is also very important to result in the best texture for your muffins. The key is to NOT OVER MIX YOUR BATTER. At each step, gently stir until your ingredients are just combined… this will keep your muffins moist and airy.

Here’s how you’ll make them:

Preheat your oven to 375 then line a 12 muffin pan with muffin liners, silicone liners, or spray with non-stick spray.
Peel your two bananas and place them in a large bowl then thoroughly mash them with a fork until almost pureed. Add your pumpkin puree, vanilla, egg, and oil and stir until just combined.

image of mashed banana with egg, oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla stirred in.

2. Add your sugar and brown sugar then stir until combined.

image of stirring white and brown sugar into a banana and pumpkin muffin batter.

3. In a smaller bowl mix together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, slowly add your flour mixture to your pumpkin banana mixture and fold in the flour until it just incorporates. Do not over mix at this step.

image of stirring flour mixture into pumpkin and banana muffin batter.

4. Add your batter to your muffin pan, filling each liner up almost to the top. Bake at 375 for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I recommend you check your muffins at the 21 minute mark as you do not want to over bake them.

banana and pumpkin muffin batter in a tin.

4. Serve warm topped with butter or peanut butter, and enjoy your seasonal pumpkin banana muffins! For those you do not enjoy immediately, store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

a pile of banana pumpkin muffins on a wooden stand.

LTN Tip: I baked these muffins in both a paper liner and a silicone liner and each time, the silicone liner resulted in muffins that were more moist. If you do not have silicone muffin liners, I highly recommend you buy some! These are the ones I own.

Swaps and substitutions:

There are so many ways to make these muffins exactly how you want. Here are a few suggestions:

Add extra flavors: chocolate chips, slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, or even shredded coconut would be great additions to these banana pumpkin muffins. Basically, whatever you would add to your favorite banana muffin recipe!
Sprinkle on a cinnamon sugar topping: these muffins would be delicious with a cinnamon sugar crust on the top!
Change what you serve them with: you can spread butter, peanut butter, Nutella, Biscoff spread, or other flavors on these banana pumpkin muffins.
Bake them with butter: I think the oil gave these muffins a lighter and fluffier texture but of you want a denser muffin, you can add 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup melted butter instead of oil.

There really are so many different ways that you can serve this recipe. Think of your favorite banana bread recipe, and add in some of those features here!

Recipe FAQ:

How should I store the muffins?
1. These are best stored in an air tight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator! The texture will get more dry if kept at room temperature.
How long can I store pumpkin banana muffins for?
1. These muffins will stay good in the refrigerator for 5-7 days but they can also be frozen for 3-6 months. If you freeze them, take the muffin out and let it thaw in the refrigerator or warm in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until warmed through.
Do you recommend using muffin tin liners?
1. Completely up to you! I did personally find that these muffins retained their moisture better when they were baked in a silicone muffin liner or just the muffin pan itself instead of a paper liner. If you use a paper liner for the muffin tin, I would spray them with avocado oil.

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