Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Printable)
Moist muffins with roasted squash and ripe banana, naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
# What You'll Need:
→ Produce
01 - 1 cup roasted butternut squash puree
02 - 1 cup ripe banana, mashed (about 2 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
→ Mix-ins (optional)
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease each cup lightly.
02 - In a large 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 puree mixture. Whisk until fully combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold 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.
09 - Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Two natural sweeteners mean you can cut refined sugar entirely and still feel like you are eating dessert for breakfast.
- The squash keeps these muffins moist for days, which is rare for anything this wholesome.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to get tough, rubbery muffins instead of tender ones.
- Letting the squash cool completely before adding it to the batter prevents the coconut oil from seizing into clumps.
03 -
- Roast your squash a day ahead so it has time to drain excess moisture and intensify in sweetness.
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before scooping for taller, more evenly domed muffins.