Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Printable)
Moist muffins blending roasted butternut squash and ripe banana for a naturally sweet breakfast or snack.
# What You Need:
→ Produce
01 - 1 cup butternut squash purée (roasted and mashed)
02 - 1 cup ripe banana, mashed (about 2 medium bananas)
→ Wet Ingredients
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
05 - 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Mix-ins (optional)
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease each cup lightly with oil.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butternut squash purée and mashed banana until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
03 - Add the eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey), and vanilla extract to the purée mixture. Whisk thoroughly until well combined.
04 - In a separate medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
06 - If using, gently fold the chopped nuts and/or dark chocolate chips into the batter.
07 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
08 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the tops are lightly golden.
09 - Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These muffins stay moist for days thanks to the double punch of squash and banana working together.
- You can freeze a whole batch and pull them out on chaotic weekday mornings when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to turn tender muffins into something closer to hockey pucks.
- Letting the squash cool completely before pureeing prevents the coconut oil from separating when you combine them.
03 -
- Toast your nuts in a dry skillet for five minutes before adding them to the batter and you will unlock a depth of flavor most people never bother with.
- Use an ice cream scoop to portion the batter and every muffin will bake evenly and look uniform.