Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins Healthy Gluten-Free
If you’re looking for the perfect fall treat, these easy pumpkin banana bread muffins are going to be your new favorite. They’re made healthier than traditional banana muffins with banana, pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, light olive oil, almond flour, oat flour, apple cider vinegar, and your choice of chocolate chips. Combining the best of chocolate…
If you’re looking for the perfect fall treat, these easy pumpkin banana bread muffins are going to be your new favorite. They’re made healthier than traditional banana muffins with banana, pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, light olive oil, almond flour, oat flour, apple cider vinegar, and your choice of chocolate chips. Combining the best of chocolate chip pumpkin bread with a subtle banana flavor, they bring the cozy, warm pumpkin flavors you love to a make-ahead breakfast.
These banana pumpkin muffins are light, fluffy, and irresistibly moist—everything you want in delicious muffins—especially gluten free. Whether you’re a fan of all things pumpkin or searching for a new twist on quick bread, this recipe will easily take your pumpkin recipes to the next level. I make this recipe all the time for my family and we can’t get enough of them! They can be made with a variety of flour, including all-purpose flour, wheat flour, gluten-free flour, and cassava flour. I’m showing you how to make them gluten-free with oat and almond flour.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Banana Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
- Cozy Fall Flavors: These pumpkin banana muffins combine the best of pumpkin spice and banana for the perfect fall treat.
- Naturally Sweet and Moist: Made with wholesome ingredients like pumpkin puree, banana, and almond flour, these muffins are light, fluffy, and irresistibly moist.
- Customizable Flour Options: Easily make them gluten-free with almond and oat flour, or use all-purpose, wheat, or cassava flour to suit your preference.
- Great for Meal Prep: Perfect for making ahead, these muffins are an ideal grab-and-go breakfast or snack any day of the week.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make the best banana chocolate chip muffin recipe:
Ripe Banana: Overripe bananas with large brown spots on the peel work best for the most natural sweetness and moisture. You can swap with applesauce if you’re out of bananas or want a different flavor.
Pumpkin Purée: Be careful not to use pumpkin pie filling. You can use mashed sweet potato for a similar texture and fall flavor.
Cottage Cheese: This adds moisture to the muffins. You can use full-fat or non-fat cottage cheese. You can also use Greek yogurt for a protein boost or plant-based yogurt for a dairy-free option. You can also substitute with sour cream or ricotta cheese.
Light Olive Oil: You can replace it with avocado oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil.
Vanilla Extract: If you’re low on vanilla, almond extract adds a nice twist.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Lemon juice will work just as well to activate the baking soda.
Cane Sugar: Feel free to replace it with coconut sugar or a natural sweetener like maple syrup for a different sweetness. You can also use your favorite granulated sugar, white sugar, or brown sugar.
Large Eggs: You can use flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water) to keep it vegan.
Oat Flour: Here is a chart of the various flours you can use and their measurements. These will replace the combined amount of oat and almond flour in the recipe card below.
| FLOUR | MEASUREMENTS |
|---|---|
| Oat Flour | 1-2/3 cups |
| Almond Flour & Tapioca Flour | 2 cups almond flour + 1/2 cup tapioca flour |
| All Purpose Flour | 1-1/2 cups flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder* |
| Gluten-Free Flour (no xanthan gum) | 1-1/2 cups flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder* |
| Wheat Flour | 1-2/3 cups |
| Cassava Flour | 1-1/2 cups |
*Replace the 2 teaspoons of baking powder in the recipe with 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Baking Powder: This helps give the muffins rise.
Baking Soda: This adds tenderness to the texture. You can omit if needed.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have pumpkin spice, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of ginger to get the same cozy flavor.
Cinnamon: More pumpkin pie spice or a dash of nutmeg can step in for extra warmth.
Salt: Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt can easily replace regular salt for a slightly different flavor.
Chocolate Chips: Dark chocolate chunks or even raisins work if you want to switch things up.
How to Make My Gluten-Free Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins Recipe
Here are easy, detailed, step-by-step instructions for making my easy chocolate chip pumpkin muffin recipe. The instructions are also repeated in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
Step 1: Blend the Cottage Cheese and Banana
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it lightly with oil. Spray the paper liners lightly with non-stick spray.
In a blender, food processor, or bowl with an immersion blender, add the 1 ripe banana, 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup light olive oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Blend until the curdled texture of the cottage cheese is smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Mix the Batter
Add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup cane sugar to the mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, including 1-1/3 cups oat flour, 1 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup cane sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Gently fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips or your favorite add-ins to the muffin batter.
Step 3: Bake the Muffins
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Press a few additional chocolate chips into the tops of the muffins.
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then, leave the muffin tin in the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C), and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Helpful Recipe Notes
Mashed Banana: If you’re using greek yogurt, sour cream or ricotta cheese instead of the cottage cheese then you do not need to blend the wet ingredients in a blender first. You can mash the banana with a fork on a plate and then add to the other wet ingredients.
Oat Flour: If you don’t have oat flour, you can make your own by blending rolled oats in a blender or food processor until fine.
Delicious Serving Suggestions for Banana Pumpkin Bread Muffins
- Warm with butter: Enjoy these muffins fresh from the oven with a pat of melted butter for extra richness.
- Drizzle with honey or maple syrup: Add a touch of natural sweetness with a drizzle of your favorite syrup.
- Top with cream cheese: Spread a little cream cheese on top for a creamy, tangy contrast to the sweet, moist muffins.
- Serve with yogurt and fruit: Create a balanced snack by pairing a muffin with a dollop of Greek yogurt and some fresh berries on the side.
- Add nut butter: Spread almond butter or peanut butter on top for an extra boost of protein and flavor.
- Crumble into a smoothie bowl: Break apart a muffin and sprinkle it over a smoothie bowl for a delicious, crunchy topping.
Do you love pumpkin? Check out more of my easy and nutritious sweet pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins Healthy Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup light olive oil (60ml)
- 1 banana
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese (60ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup cane sugar (120g)
- 2 eggs
- 1-1/3 cups oat flour (168g)
- 1 cup almond flour (113g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (107g)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it lightly with oil. Spray the paper liners lightly with non-stick spray.
- In a blender, food processor, or bowl with an immersion blender, add the 1 ripe banana, 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup light olive oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Blend until the curdled texture of the cottage cheese is smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup cane sugar to the mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, including 1-1/3 cups oat flour, 1 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup cane sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.Gently fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips or your favorite add-ins to the muffin batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Press a few additional chocolate chips into the tops of the muffins.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then, leave the muffin tin in the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C), and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
My family loved this! Excited to use this more in the fall 🍁
Thank you, Lois! 🙂
These turned out so beautiful. I love the high dome shape. I used oat flour and almond flour and they are so soft. I don’t think these will last long in my house 🙂
Thank you for the review, Sam!
These delicious muffins are moist and full of pumpkin and banana flavor! I hope you enjoy making them 🙂