Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Printable view)
Moist muffins with roasted butternut squash, banana and warm spices; add nuts or chocolate chips for extra texture.
# 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 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
11 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
12 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Optional Add-ins
14 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
15 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease each cup 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 with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and well combined. Stir in the oil, vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and butternut squash puree.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix to keep muffins tender.
05 - If desired, fold in the chopped nuts or chocolate chips until evenly distributed 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 rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- These muffins taste like autumn wrapped in a paper liner, even if you make them in the middle of a soggy Tuesday.
- The squash keeps them moist for days, which means they actually survive being shoved into a lunchbox without turning sad.
02 -
- I once tried rushing the cooling step and ended up with muffins that stuck to the liners like glue, so patience really does matter here.
- Roasting the squash instead of steaming it was a game changer I discovered by accident, because it caramelizes the natural sugars and eliminates excess moisture.
03 -
- Let the wet mixture sit for five minutes after mashing the bananas, because the natural enzymes start breaking down and create an even more tender crumb.
- Always check your baking soda by dropping a pinch into vinegar, and if it fizzes vigorously it is still active and ready to work.