It’s October, so you know what that means? Pumpkin everything. Yayyy. Woohoo. OK, OK, I’ll calm down. I get really excited when October rolls around because that means so many exciting things are around the corner. It means that fall is officially here, it means cool weather and boots, it means new lipstick and nail-polish shades, and of course it means that the holidays are near.

Now that you know about my obsession with the fall season, let’s talk about these muffins. I’ve always loved banana nut muffins or anything that contains bananas and nuts. I believe this comes from my childhood days of devouring my grandmother’s famous banana nut bread. My grandmother would make the best banana nut bread. She would have people requesting her famous recipe all of the time. When I got older, of course I tried to find recipes that would come close to hers, but that just didn’t happen.

These muffins came pretty close to my grandmother’s recipe, but with a slightly healthier twist. I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour and I decreased the amount of sugar. If you prefer a sweeter muffin, you can add more sugar to your liking, but personally I think they’re perfect just the way they are.

I love using whole wheat flour in my recipes because whole wheat has so many awesome benefits. Whole wheat/whole grains are loaded with vitamins, nutrients and minerals. A regular intake of whole grains can help to reduce the risk of chronic disease such as coronary heart disease and can help lower cholesterol. Not to mention that it helps to keep our bodies nice and regular.

These muffins are the perfect way to welcome fall and have become a staple part of my breakfast routine. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

Fluffy Whole Wheat Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Fluffy Whole Wheat Pumpkin Banana Muffins. (Andrea Mathis / Beautiful Eats & Things)

Click here for a printable version.

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 medium ripe bananas
• ¾ can pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• Optional: 2-3 tablespoons pecan pieces to sprinkle on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and sugar. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork.
4. Add canned pumpkin, eggs, unsweetened applesauce, coconut oil and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
5. Fold banana mixture into flour mixture, just until combined and batter forms; do not overmix.
6. Spoon batter into muffin cups; sprinkle pecan pieces on the top of each one, if desired.
7. Bake for approximately 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

 Recipe notes

Nutrition information per muffin (without nuts): calories 142, carbohydrates 26 grams, fat 4 grams, protein 3 grams, sodium 19 milligrams, dietary fiber 3 grams.

Andrea Mathis is a registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things. For more great recipes, visit beautifuleatsandthings.com.