Banana Pumpkin Muffins (Small-Batch)

These banana pumpkin muffins are so moist and are full of gooey chocolate chips. This unique twist on the classic banana muffin recipe features pumpkin puree, creating an ultimate fall treat that is hard to resist! The recipe yields six perfectly sized muffins that are just the right amount of goodness for a quick breakfast on the go or as a snack.

• One-bowl recipe: Yes! You heard it correctly. Here’s another reason to make these insanely good muffins. All you need is one bowl to whip them up which makes for an easy cleanup.
• Small-batch: Sometimes you want a sweet treat or fun breakfast without making a dozen muffins. This recipe allows for indulgence without excess muffins lying around.
• One banana: I’m sure we can all relate to having that one lonely banana that is melting away in the back corner of our kitchen. This recipe only uses 1 banana, so it’s a great way to get rid of that extra-ripened banana.
• Moist muffins: These muffins stay so moist and fluffy up to 3 days if left covered.

• Banana: Use a ripe banana to enhance the overall flavours and use natural flavour.
• Pumpkin puree: Only use pure pumpkin puree and don’t use pumpkin pie filling, it won’t work! Scroll below to find out ways how to store extra pumpkin puree.
• Sour cream: I probably used the word “moist” a billion times by now, but nothing is worse than a dry muffin. So by adding sour cream, you will get an even better crumb.
• Oil: I prefer using a neutral oil in this recipe to create a soft and moist muffin.
• Egg: All you need is one room temperature egg
• Vanilla: Every baked good requires a little vanilla extract to add extra flavour.
• Sugar: I like to use a mixture of granulated and brown sugar. Feel free to reduce the sugar if you prefer a less sweeter mufifn
• Flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour.
• Baking soda: Every muffin requires a good leavening agent such as baking soda to achieve a light and fluffy muffin.
• Salt: You will need 1/4 teaspoon of either table salt or kosher salt.
• Chocolate chips: Regular semi-sweet chocolate chips are perfect. Alternatively, you can add milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks or omit the chocolate out if you prefer a regular muffin

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 F (175°C) and prep a cupcake tray with muffin liners. 

Step 2: In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or whisk. Make sure to use ripe bananas as they will be easier to mash. If you prefer a stronger banana flavour, leave a few chunks while mashing. Next, add canola oil, pumpkin puree, and sour cream to the mashed bananas. It is important to stir this mixture until all the ingredients are well combined. You can use a wooden spoon or a spatula for this step.

Step 3: Add granulated and brown sugar to the bowl and whisk until fully integrated. Add one room temperature egg and vanilla extract and whisk together.

Step 4: To the same bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the flour is just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Step 5: Add mini chocolate chips to the batter and fold gently with a spatula until incorporated.

Step 6: Divide the batter evenly into 6 muffin tins, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a muffin.

• Only use extra ripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the better! This will help create a stronger banana flavor. The more ripe the bananas are, the sweeter they become, thus allowing you to reduce the amount of sugar needed.
• Use room temperature ingredients. This ensures the batter is more cohesive as the ingredients combine better when they are at the same temperature.
• Measure your flour correctly. When it comes to measuring ingredients for muffins, using a kitchen scale to measure dry ingredients like flour in grams can be more accurate. This helps to avoid using too much flour, which can impact the texture and appearance of the muffins.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing will result in a dense and chewy muffin.
• To get bakery-worthy domes, line every second tin on your cupcake tray.

How to Store Leftover Pumpkin Pure?

I always have leftover pumpkin puree after using just a bit for my recipes. So, I like to freeze the extra in ice cubes or store 1/4 portions in ziplock bags. Then, whenever I need pumpkin puree, I just defrost it a day in advance, and it’s good to go for whatever recipe I’m making.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes. To make a dozen muffins, just double up on each ingredient. So instead of one banana, you will need two and so on.

Can these muffins be made gluten-free?

While I have not tried this recipe using gluten-free flour, I would recommend using a 1-1 baking flour substitute.