Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Printable)
Moist banana and roasted butternut squash muffins with warm spices, optional nuts or chocolate - ideal for breakfast.
# What You'll Need:
→ Produce
01 - 1 cup butternut squash puree (from roasted butternut squash)
02 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed
→ Dry Ingredients
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
06 - ½ teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - ½ cup packed brown sugar
11 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
12 - ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Optional Add-ins
14 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
15 - ½ cup chocolate chips
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with baking spray.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Stir in the oil, vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and butternut squash puree until smooth.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix to keep the muffins tender.
05 - Fold in chopped nuts or chocolate chips if using, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
08 - Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The squash keeps these muffins incredibly moist for days, almost impossibly so for something this simple.
- You can roast the squash ahead of time and freeze it, which means these come together fast on a random Tuesday morning.
02 -
- Overmixing is the enemy here, and I learned this the hard way when my first batch turned out rubbery and dense from too much enthusiastic stirring.
- Homemade roasted squash puree is vastly superior to store bought because you control the moisture level and the caramelized flavor.
03 -
- Let the wet mixture sit for five minutes before combining with the dry ingredients because this gives the squash and banana time to fully incorporate their flavors and moisture.
- A sprinkle of rolled oats or sunflower seeds on top before baking adds a bakery style finish that makes people think you bought them.