Fall is officially in the air, so these Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins are a must make breakfast or after school snack! These muffins are made with simple, gluten free ingredients, and sweetened with maple syrup and bananas. It comes together in one bowl, so I know this pumpkin protein muffin recipe will make its way into your regular meal prep rotation!
Muffins are always a crowd pleaser in our house, and I think I speak for every house that there are many many many times that you buy a bunch of bananas and they end up soft and brown on the counter, waiting to be made into banana bread. These banana pumpkin protein muffins are so simple, and they are a perfect alternative to traditional banana bread when you need to use up those old bananas. They're freezer friendly, too!
You truly can't go wrong with pumpkin this time of year! If you want a few other pumpkin recipes, check out my Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake or my Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies. Looking for something to spice up your coffee without spending your entire paycheck at the coffee shop? Try my Pumpkin Sauce for Coffee. Need a few banana ideas? Try my Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread or Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins.
Jump to:
- What are the Ingredients for Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins?
- How do I make Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins ?
- Recipe Substitutions
- Ways to Serve Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- Tips for Perfecting This Recipe
- Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Recipe FAQ's
- Hungry for More?
- Did you like this recipe? Share it!
- Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins
What are the Ingredients for Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins?
- Pumpkin puree - Perfect for this time of year, pumpkin is such an easy way to sneak in some nutrients to your diet.
- Mashed banana - You know you have some old bananas sitting on the counter just begging to be used up! Plus, banana is a great natural sweetener for baked goods.
- Eggs - Eggs are necessary to bind these muffins together, but they also serve as a great source of protein.
- Maple syrup (or honey) - I like to sweeten baked goods with maple syrup or honey because they both contain antioxidant properties and are natural sweeteners.
- Vanilla extract
- Coconut oil or grass fed butter - Use either option in this recipe. Adding a little fat helps bind everything together while also adding moisture to the muffins.
- Oat flour (certified gluten free) - GF oat flour is a great way to add flour to your recipe that is closer in texture to regular AP flour. Plus, it's a great dose of fiber!
- Vanilla protein powder - I like to use egg white protein powder, but any of your favorite kind will work.
- Pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon - channel pumpkin pie vibes with these spices.
- Coarse Kosher salt - You always been a little salt to balance out the sweet!
- Baking powder and baking powder - The combination of both baking soda and baking powder is great as a leavening agent in these muffins.
- Chocolate chips - Chocolate chips are a great flavor and texture addition to this muffin recipe.
How do I make Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins ?
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners, and set aside.
- In a large glass bowl, mash the bananas until they are smooth.
- Whisk in the pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Add the oat flour, protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda, whisking until just combined.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, placing about ⅓ cup batter in each. Place the muffins in the oven, and bake for about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack until completely cool, for about 20 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe Substitutions
- Oat flour substitution: If you would like to use regular all-purpose flour or gluten free all-purpose flour, both options would work in this recipe.
- Maple syrup substitution: Honey, agave nectar, or monk fruit sweetener would also work as a sweetener in this recipe.
- Chocolate chip substitution: If you want to add some nuttiness to this recipe, you could omit the chocolate chips and substitute toasted pecans or walnuts. You could also add those in addition to the chocolate chips!
Ways to Serve Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- Warmed with butter - These muffins made with protein powder are delicious when lightly warmed and slathered with your favorite grassfed butter!
- As part of a brunch spread - You can pile these up on a platter with all your favorite muffins and brunch goodies!
Tips for Perfecting This Recipe
- Be sure your bananas are VERY ripe. Bananas are the main sweetener in this recipe, and they sweeten as they ripen. Using them before they are "ready" will make this muffin recipe less sweet and flavorful.
- Watch your bake time. All ovens are different, so while this recipe has been tested and timed multiple times, it's always best to pay attention to be sure they are not getting too brown. If they do, they will become dry and crumbly.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
To store: Store these muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins are best eaten in the first day or two. However, they will last a little longer if they are stored correctly.
To freeze: Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins can be stored in the freezer, in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.
To reheat. If you decide to freeze a batch of these muffins, simply remove them from the freezer 1-2 hours before you are ready to serve. Allow them to thaw at room temperature.
Recipe FAQ's
For best results, do not scoop flour directly from the container or bag. Instead, use a spoon to lightly scoop the flour into the measuring cup, and then gently level it out.
Yes! If you would like to omit the eggs, simply substitute them for a plant based egg substitute like flax eggs (which you can make by adding 2 tablespoons of water to about 1 tablespoon of flax meal).
There are many traditional pumpkin muffin recipes that use regular granulated sugar, but this recipe has not been tested using granulated sugar, so I would stick to one of the options mentioned.
Hungry for More?
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Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins
Equipment
- 1 Set of dry measuring spoons
- 1 Set of dry measuring cups
- 1 Set of liquid measuring cups
- 12 Cupcake liners
- 1 Muffin pan
- 1 Medium bowl
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- ½ cup banana about 2-3 medium bananas
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil or grass fed butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups oat flour certified gluten free
- ⅓ cup vanilla protein powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners, and set aside.
- In a large glass bowl, mash the bananas until they are smooth. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the oat flour, protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda, whisking until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, placing about ⅓ cup batter in each. Place the muffins in the oven, and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack until completely cool, for about 20 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
-
- Be sure your bananas are VERY ripe. Bananas are the main sweetener in this recipe, and they sweeten as they ripen. Using them before they are "ready" will make this muffin recipe less sweet and flavorful.
-
- Watch your bake time. All ovens are different, so while this recipe has been tested and timed multiple times, it's always best to pay attention to be sure they are not getting too brown. If they do, they will become dry and crumbly.
- Scoop oat flour into measuring cup with a spoon. For best results, do not scoop flour directly from the container or bag. Instead, use a spoon to lightly scoop the flour into the measuring cup, and then gently level it out.
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