Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Printable Version)
Naturally sweet muffins combining roasted squash and mashed bananas for moist, tender results perfect for breakfast.
# 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 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
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - Steam or roast the cubed butternut squash until fork-tender, approximately 15 minutes steaming or 25 minutes roasting. Allow to cool completely, then mash until smooth to yield 1 cup of 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, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Take care not to overmix to keep the muffins tender.
06 - If desired, gently fold chopped walnuts or pecans and chocolate chips or raisins into the batter until evenly distributed.
07 - Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about 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 - Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The natural sweetness from bananas and squash means you barely need added sugar, which feels like a quiet victory at breakfast.
- They freeze beautifully, so you can stash a dozen and have wholesome snacks ready for chaotic weekdays.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter creates tunnels and a tough texture, so stop stirring the moment the flour disappears.
- Roasting the squash instead of steaming it concentrates the flavor dramatically and is worth the extra ten minutes.
03 -
- Let the squash puree cool completely before adding it to the wet mixture, or the heat will start cooking the eggs and create stringy bits.
- Fill the muffin cups almost to the top for bakery style domes rather than flat, timid little muffins.