Pumpkin and Spice and Everything Nice Muffins
The source for today’s recipe is Taste Of Home magazine. Flavorful, healthy, and moist. Typically pumpkin recipes call for a lot of sugar. This has maple syrup or honey. Both are great substitutions for sugar. Also, carrots add natural sweetness. Need longer baking time, maybe 5-10 minutes depending on oven temps due to batter density. Great for lunchbox treat! This recipe is a keeper!
Yields: 12
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 cup wheat bran (or wheat germ)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon plus 1/2 tsp each ground ginger and nutmeg)
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1⁄2 cup plain yogurt
- 1⁄2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1⁄4 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup finely grated carrot
- 1⁄2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, wheat bran or wheat germ, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, yogurt, honey, butter, egg and vanilla. Stir in carrots.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir using a wooden spoon just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips (and walnuts, if using). Batter will be thick.
- Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Bake on middle oven rack for 20-22 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes