Avocado Muffins with Pumpkin
These avocado pumpkin muffins are a healthy, oil-free recipe made with creamy avocado, mashed banana, and puréed pumpkin. Perfect for a moist and satisfying breakfast or snack. I promise you won’t miss the oil!
I don’t do a lot of baking anymore, mainly because homemade baked goods are my weakness. If I bake a batch of muffins from scratch, I can’t stop eating them. Occasionally, when a craving strikes for a moist and tasty muffin, I at least try to play around with healthy ingredients and make indulging worthwhile.
Take this healthy avocado pumpkin muffins recipe, for instance. I’ve wanted to try baking quick bread with mashed avocado for a while and came across this easy recipe on a bag of avocados. I tweaked it a bit, and they turned out crazy good –even the kids loved them!
Again, I can’t resist a really moist muffin, and these did not disappoint! What I love the most is that there isn’t even a hint of avocado in the flavor. Instead, you get more warming pumpkin-y vibes and delightful banana sweetness. Have you baked with avocado before? If not, definitely give it a go!
Why you’ll love it
Simple to make. You can whip up a batch in no time with simple ingredients and add healthy mix-ins to make these avocado muffins uniquely yours!
Irresistibly moist and healthy. Adding banana and pumpkin to these avocado muffins makes each one incredibly moist, tender, and packed with nutrients!
Great for meal prep. They store well and freeze beautifully, making them an excellent choice for prepping once and having for breakfast or quick, nutritious snacks all week!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Avocado. Adds creaminess and healthy fats, making the muffins moist and rich. Select a ripe, deep green avocado that gives in a little when you squeeze it for easy mashing.
- Banana. Provides natural sweetness and helps keep the muffins moist. Use ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor and sweetness.
- Pumpkin puree. Adds moisture and a touch of fall flavor. If using store-bought, make sure you have pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling with added spices and sugar.
- Eggs. Act as a binding agent and help the muffins rise. Bring to room temperature for easy blending.
- Vanilla extract. Use good-quality pure vanilla extract for the best overall flavor. Or, switch things up with almond or maple extract.
- Brown sugar. Adds sweetness and a slight caramel flavor. Light brown, dark brown sugar or even coconut sugar works here, just be aware that coconut sugar doesn’t provide as much moisture as brown sugar in baking.
- Flour. Provides structure. You can use all-purpose flour or a reliable gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
- Baking soda. Helps the muffins rise and become fluffy.
- Baking powder. Works alongside the baking soda in aiding the rising process.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg. This spice duo adds a cozy, warming flavor. Feel free to add a pinch of ground ginger or cloves for more fall flavor. Or better yet, substitute pumpkin spice!
- Salt. Just a pinch is enough to enhance all the other flavors.
- Pecans. Add a lovely nutty crunch. Feel free to substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds. Leave them out for a nut-free version.
How to make avocado pumpkin muffins
Step 1: Prepare for baking. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 12 liners.
Step 2: Mix wet ingredients. Add the avocado, banana, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and sugar to the electric mixer bowl and beat everything together until it’s nice and smooth.
Step 3: Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.
Step 4: Combine. With your mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Don’t forget to stop and scrape down the sides now and then. Mix until just combined, then fold in the pecans.
Step 5: Scoop and bake. Evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake liners, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Measure accurately. Avoid scooping the dry ingredients (especially the flour) directly from the container. Instead, spoon the ingredients into the measuring cup and level it off with the flat edge of a knife.
- Don’t overmix. Overmixing can lead to tough banana avocado muffins, so when combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined, then very gently fold in the nuts before you start scooping!
- Uniform scooping. I like using an ice cream scoop to distribute the batter evenly. If you don’t have one, aim for about ¼ of batter per muffin.
- Toothpick test. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of an avocado muffin. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, they’re ready!
- Cooling time. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before serving warm or transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. This will help them set properly and prevent them from falling apart.
Variations
- Egg-free – Replace each egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water) or a chia egg (1 tablespoon of chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water).
- Mix-in ideas – Don’t hesitate to fold in goodies like dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins, or even a bit of orange or lemon zest for a citrusy kick.
- Protein boost – Add a scoop of your favorite chocolate or vanilla protein powder to the batter. You may need to add an additional liquid (like almond milk) to maintain the consistency. However, I haven’t tested this version, so I cannot guarantee good results.
- Alternative flours – I always use unbleached flour when baking (King Arthur is my favorite). You can easily make these muffins more nutritious with a whole-grain flour blend. In this case, you’ll get a more nutty flavor and a little extra fiber.
FAQ
Use a fork or a potato masher for smooth, lump-free mashed avocado and banana. You can also use a food processor for an even creamier consistency.
I don’t see why not! If you don’t have mini cupcake liners, grease the muffin tin well to prevent sticking. Reduce the baking time to 10-15 minutes, and check for doneness with a toothpick.
Sure! Use a greased and floured 9×5” loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover it with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Storing & freezing
Storing: Store your avocado muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Baked goods are always best when fresh, but you can freeze these, and they reheat beautifully! Just wrap them individually in plastic once cooled and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Thaw the muffins at room temperature or in the microwave on a low setting (50% or less) until just thawed. I like to slice mine in half, toss them in the toaster, and then top with a bit of butter. Delish!
More healthy muffin recipes
If you’re looking for more healthy muffin recipes featuring ripe banana or pumpkin puree, check out:
If you love these healthy avocado muffins, I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟 rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
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Avocado Muffins with Pumpkin
Ingredients
- 1 medium ripe avocado mashed
- 1 large whole banana mashed
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line muffin tin with 12 liners
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine avocado, banana, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and sugar
- Beat until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
- While mixer is running on low, slowly add flour mixture to wet mixture, stopping to scrap down the sides.
- Combine until just mixed, then stir in pecans.
- Using an ice cream scoop, drop batter evenly among cupcake liners.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Measure accurately. Avoid scooping the dry ingredients (especially the flour) directly from the container. Instead, spoon the ingredients into the measuring cup and level it off with the flat edge of a knife.
- Don’t overmix. Overmixing can lead to tough banana avocado muffins, so when combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined, then very gently fold in the nuts before you start scooping!
- Uniform scooping. I like using an ice cream scoop to distribute the batter evenly. If you don’t have one, aim for about ¼ of batter per muffin.
- Toothpick test. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of an avocado muffin. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, they’re ready!
- Cooling time. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before serving warm or transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. This will help them set properly and prevent them from falling apart.
Nutrition
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I love muffin, thanks for the tips
Thank you and you’re welcome!
Not to be nit picky, but you should list the ingredients in order of how you use them in the recipe instructions. Just a thought. These muffins actually sound good, and healthy. I look forward to making them and trying them. I’ll make sure to come back and leave a comment on how they taste. I’m sure they’re delicious. Thanks!
Good advice Shannon, thank you!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Made these muffins last night and had one with my morning coffee. WOW, they are so good. Thank you for a great way to have a healthy breakfast.
Thank you so much for the great feedback, Anita! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them!
Amee, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE these! The most recent batch (first half of it anyway; I only have one large muffin tin…) is in the oven as I type this. And this must be at least the sixth time I’ve made your recipe. It is so easy and was the very first thing I made with my new toy — a KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer. I’ve used walnuts each time I’ve made these and added all sorts of extra goodies: raisins, frozen cranberries, frozen blueberries, and I’ve got my eye on some frozen Italian plums I can chop up to add to the next batch. With the first few batches, I made one pan of muffins and put the rest of the batter in a loaf pan coated with light olive oil cooking spray. It makes as good a bread as muffins! Do you have more recipes (I hope…)?
I love it!!! Thanks for the update Beth! I love all of the tasty additions you added to the recipe!! I have lots of recipes on here, just search the recipe tab for muffins and breads. 🙂
Could you provide the nutritional info? Calories sodium etc?
Thanks
Hi Wanda! I’m working on getting this added to all my recipes. 🙂
So delicious!! I love them as much as my two year olds. Healthy + yummy!
So glad that you all enjoyed them Amy! 🙂
I just made these muffins, and I can’t stop eating them. I used whole grain sprouted spelt flour and swapped out about a half cup of almond flour. I used Demerara for the brown sugar, and just pumpkin pie spice instead of nutmeg because that’s what I had. (I also threw in 1 1/2 scoops of unflavored collagen powder for a little protein boost.)
So so good!
I have that problem, too, Donna! LOL. I’m so glad you love the recipe! Your subs sound great!
LOVED these muffins, they were a big hit for Thanksgiving morning! Comments like…
WOW Nana, these are so much better than Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf.. I totally agree.
I made only one little change, I used Turbanado sugar instead of white granulated. Yummy. Thank you for your amazing recipe.
Hi Nancy! I love this feedback! Thank you so much for leaving a review! Your Turbinado sugar swap sounds great!!
Recipe sounds great! WILL try, I gave pumpkin and avocados on hand! May use recipe for a blood drive canteen item to serve!!
Have you made cookies from this recipe? if so, are there any modifications to keep a “soft, chewy , somewhat light crumb” to the finished cookue?? I don’t care for hard, crisp sugar cookies, so want the opposite texture w/these ingredients!!
Hi Lisa! Did you make the muffins? I haven’t tested this recipe as cookies, so I can’t advise on this modification without trying it out. I hope that you enjoyed them!
So you suggest a god 1:1 flour ratio for something other than unbleached?
Hi Sharon! I haven’t tested this, but buckwheat flour and spelt flour should be great subs here.