Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Print View)
Tender muffins combining ripe bananas with roasted butternut squash for natural sweetness and moist texture.
# What You'll 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 can be substituted with whole wheat 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 Add-ins
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 1/3 cup chocolate chips or raisins
# Step-by-Step Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
02 - Steam or roast the cubed butternut squash until fork-tender, approximately 15 minutes if steaming or 25 minutes if roasting. Allow to cool, then mash thoroughly to yield 1 cup of smooth purée.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, maple syrup, mashed bananas, butternut squash purée, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
04 - In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, 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, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Gently fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans and chocolate chips or raisins, if using, until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
07 - Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
08 - Bake on the center rack for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
09 - Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The squash keeps these muffins tender for days without drying out like standard banana muffins tend to do.
- Maple syrup instead of refined sugar means you can eat two and still feel pretty good about your morning.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter produces tough, tunnel filled muffins, so treat folding like a gentle conversation rather than a workout.
- If your squash puree is watery, spread it on a clean towel and press gently to remove excess moisture before measuring.
03 -
- Roast the squash cubes with a drizzle of olive oil at 200 degrees C for 25 minutes and you will get a richer, more concentrated flavor than steaming ever provides.
- Let the wet mixture sit for five minutes after whisking so the maple syrup fully dissolves into the eggs before you add the flour.