There are about a million and two recipes for pumpkin muffins out there these days, but let me tell you— I have very high standards for pumpkin recipes.

My favorite food since I was a child has been pumpkin pie. All the kids in second grade thought I was weird when we shared our favorite foods and I said pumpkin pie. Nowwww, pumpkin recipes are all the rage and apparently everyone is obsessed with pumpkin spice lattes.

Not to brag, but I mean…… I liked pumpkin way before it was popular 😉

Anyway, my point is, I don’t get on board with just any pumpkin recipe. So I made these pumpkin muffins too many times to count to ensure that they are PERFECTION.

When I say perfection I mean…

• That sugar-y, crispy muffin top
• Moist and fluffy on the inside
• The perfect amount of cinnamon + fall spices

Not to mention, these pumpkin muffins actually pack in some good nutrients between the pumpkin, bananas, and coconut oil. As for sweetener, there’s only a half cup of brown sugar and a half cup of honey (or pure maple syrup) + a dusting of granulated sugar on top. In other words, you can eat a muffin for breakfast and not feel like you just ate a piece of cake.

If you’ve been on the hunt for a go-to recipe for pumpkin muffins, look no further.

This one is easy + straightforward, but the cinnamon sugar makes it a little special with hardly any extra effort required. No messy glaze to drizzle on top, no tricky streusel topping— just a classic cinnamon sugar.

And here’s my trick for bananas: I buy more than I’ll eat in a week and freeze them when they’re ripe (spotty). Then, I take two out of the freezer for these pumpkin muffins and heat them up in a small bowl in the microwave so that I can easily mash with a fork.

Seriously, the bananas add the perfect amount of moisture and natural sweetness without tasting any banana whatsoever.

Alright, let’s dive into the recipe!

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins

Serving Size: 12 large muffins
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• a pinch of cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray two muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
2. In a bowl, mash bananas with a fork until fairly smooth. Mix in pumpkin, coconut oil, brown sugar, honey or pure maple syrup, vanilla, and two beaten eggs.
3. In a separate large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined, being very careful not to over-mix (it’s okay if there are still a few lumps and streaks of flour).
4. Pour the batter into prepared muffin tins, filling them basically to the top.
5. Mix cinnamon sugar topping together in a small bowl. Sprinkle generously on top of muffins, reserving a little extra for topping once more after baking.
6. Bake for 10 minutes at 425, then reduce heat (without opening the oven) to 350 degrees and bake for about 10 more minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Then, remove muffins, sprinkle once more with cinnamon sugar, and finish cooling out of the pan on a rack. Enjoy!

Note 1: These muffins are best after they’ve completely cooled (I know this because I was too impatient to wait to eat one… but trust me, they’re better when they’re not fresh out of the oven.)

Note 2: The reason it’s important not to over-mix is because that can make your batter tough, creating a more dense, bread-like muffin.

I hope you are as obsessed with these pumpkin muffins as I am— let me know what you think in the comments!

And if you like this recipe, I think you’d also enjoy my maple almond butter banana bread and healthy banana chocolate chip muffins!