Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Print Page)
Soft muffins combining roasted butternut squash and ripe banana for natural sweetness. Ready in 45 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Produce
01 - 1 cup roasted butternut squash puree
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 maple syrup or honey
06 - 1 teaspoon 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 salt
→ Optional Mix-ins
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease each cup.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butternut squash puree and mashed banana until smooth and free of lumps.
03 - Add the eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey), and vanilla extract to the squash-banana mixture. Whisk until fully combined and homogeneous.
04 - In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep muffins tender.
06 - Gently fold in chopped nuts or dark chocolate chips if using, distributing evenly throughout the batter.
07 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters 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 or storing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These muffins stay moist for days thanks to the double hit of squash and banana working together like best friends who actually like each other.
- Maple syrup does the sweetening so you never feel that heavy sugar crash an hour later.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter will give you dense, rubbery muffins so stir with a gentle hand and walk away the moment the flour disappears.
- Let the coconut oil cool slightly after melting because hot oil poured directly into eggs will scramble them and ruin everything.
03 -
- Roast your squash whole on a sheet tray at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, then scoop out the flesh and puree it for the most concentrated, caramelized flavor imaginable.
- Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of cinnamon sugar right before baking for a crackly, bakery style finish that makes people think you bought them.