Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Printable View)
Naturally sweet muffins combining ripe bananas and roasted squash for a tender, moist texture.
# What You Need:
→ Produce
01 - 1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
→ Wet Ingredients
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
05 - 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (half whole wheat flour may be substituted)
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Optional Add-ins
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 1/3 cup chocolate chips or raisins
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - Steam or roast the butternut squash until fork-tender, about 15 minutes if steaming or 25 minutes if roasting. Let cool, then mash to yield 1 cup of purée.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, maple syrup, mashed bananas, butternut squash purée, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
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. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined; avoid overmixing to keep muffins tender.
06 - Gently fold in chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or raisins if desired.
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 the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The squash vanishes into the batter completely, so even picky eaters will never guess there is a vegetable hiding inside.
- They stay moist for days thanks to the double hit of mashed banana and squash purée, no dry crumbly muffin situation here.
- Maple syrup does all the sweetening, so you can eat two for breakfast without that heavy sugar crash afterward.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to end up with tough, dense muffins, so stop stirring the moment the flour disappears.
- If your squash purée seems watery, drain it in a fine mesh sieve for a few minutes or your batter will be too loose and the muffins will not rise properly.
- These muffins freeze beautifully for up to three months, just be sure they are completely cool before bagging them or ice crystals will ruin the texture.
03 -
- Toasting the walnuts or pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes before adding them to the batter intensifies their flavor and adds an irresistible crunch.
- Letting the mashed bananas and squash purée come to room temperature before mixing prevents the coconut oil from seizing up and creating little solid chunks throughout the batter.