Pumpkin Puree: If you decide to make your own pumpkin puree, be sure to remove as much moisture as possible. You can blend it to achieve a smooth, lump-free texture. If using canned pumpkin puree, make sure it is pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains additional ingredients like spices and sugar. Canned pumpkin puree generally has less moisture than homemade, making it ideal for this recipe.

Bananas: Make sure to use ripe bananas (those with brown spots on their skin) as they are naturally sweeter.

Sugar: I used dark brown sugar, but if you prefer your muffins to be lighter in color, you can also use light brown sugar or cane sugar instead.

Oil: I used olive oil, but you can use another type of vegetable oil if you prefer (such as canola oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc.).

Eggs: Eggs help to bind the ingredients together, so make sure you add them in.

Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free 1:1 flour blend (a 1:1 gluten-free substitute for regular wheat flour) that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice starch, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch) to ensure a lighter and fluffier final texture. I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that is made up of heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser final texture.

Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours and helps the ingredients to better bind together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not already include xanthan gum, make sure to add it in.

Leavening Agents: I used a mix of both baking powder and baking soda as leavening agents to help the batter rise. Alternatively, you may also replace the teaspoon of baking soda with another 1 teaspoon of baking powder instead.

Spices: I like a mixture of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger to add the fall spice flavors. Alternatively, you may substitute the individual spices with 2 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead.

Vanilla Extract: I like adding a bit of vanilla extract for flavor. However, feel free to leave it out if you don’t have vanilla.

Dairy-Free Butter: I used unsalted dairy-free butter to keep this recipe dairy-free. However, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use regular unsalted butter instead.