Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While it’s heating, line twelve muffin cups with paper liners or spray them with nonstick spray. If you’re using muffin cups, be sure to spray the insides to prevent sticking.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, old fashioned oats, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix these dry ingredients thoroughly to ensure they are evenly distributed.
In a separate bowl, mash the ripe banana and then add in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, almond milk, egg, and applesauce. Whisk these ingredients together until smooth.
Pour the dry ingredients mixture into the wet ingredients and gently stir until just combined. It’s okay if there are a few lumps; you don’t want to overmix this batter.
Now, it’s time to fold in the chocolate chips. Be gentle as you do this so you keep the batter airy. You can reserve a few chocolate chips to sprinkle on top for visual appeal if you like!
Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full. This helps the muffins to rise without overflowing.
Carefully place the muffin tray into the oven and bake for 23 to 28 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about five minutes. This will help them set before transferring them to a wire rack.
For the best experience, serve the muffins warm. You can reheat them in the microwave for about 20 seconds, and they’ll be perfectly soft.
