Butternut Squash Banana Muffins (Print Version)

Moist, naturally sweet muffins combining roasted butternut squash and ripe banana. Perfect for breakfast or snacking.

# What You Need:

→ Produce

01 - 1 cup butternut squash puree (roasted and mashed)
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

# Directions:

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 uniform.
03 - Add the eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey), and vanilla extract to the squash-banana mixture. Whisk until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix to keep muffins tender.
06 - 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 the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Two vegetables masquerading as dessert and nobody at the table will suspect a thing.
  • The crumb stays tender for days because the squash locks in moisture like nothing else I have tried.
  • You probably have every single ingredient in your kitchen right now.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the fastest way to turn these tender muffins into dense little hockey pucks, so stop stirring the moment the flour disappears.
  • Every oven runs differently. Start checking at the 20 minute mark because a minute too long dries out the edges.
03 -
  • Roast the squash a day ahead and refrigerate it so the puree is cold and thick, which prevents the batter from becoming too loose.
  • A pinch of espresso powder in the dry mix amplifies the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee at all.

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