It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That’s right. It’s pumpkin time. Whether you’re carving jack o’ lanterns or baking seeds, you’ll likely be making good use of one of the fall season’s greatest gifts: pumpkin. And what better way to share this seasonal beauty than with an easy-to-follow, delicious pumpkin muffin recipe?
Now, there’s a secret trick to this tasty treat: organic pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree is easy to bake with, and it works in oodles of recipes for baking and cooking. You can use pumpkin puree to enhance any of the following:
- Pumpkin pie
- Cream cheese pumpkin cheesecake
- Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
- Crunchy pumpkin cookies
- Sweet pumpkin casserole
- Pumpkin ice cream
- Pumpkin maple bars
Don’t those just make your mouth water? This pumpkin muffin recipe is a healthy dessert option for fall. They’re also simple and easy to make, using organic pumpkin puree in place of real pumpkin. And they’re great for the entire classroom, holiday parties as a seasonal snack.
Pumpkin Health Benefits: Can This Sweet Treat Do Some Good?
Now, pumpkin is chock full of several naturally occurring chemical compounds. And these compounds are responsible for the health benefits belonging to pumpkins. Check it out:
Alkaloids — These nitrogen compounds can take hydrogen ions from other compounds. Most alkaloids have beneficial properties.1
Flavonoids — These antioxidants do their work by helping to fight against damaging free radicals.2
Oleic acid — This beneficial fatty acid has been shown to support healthy immune function. Studies also suggest oleic acid can support skin health.3
Linoleic acids — Linoleic acid helps your skin maintain its water permeability barrier. This can support skin hydration as well as your skin’s overall health.4 Linoleic acids are also believed to have antioxidant benefits.5
But enough about all the good-for-you things pumpkin can do. You must be ready to get baking, right? And this recipe is so good, you’ll be scraping the bowl with your finger to taste the batter. Mmmm. Let’s get to it.
Fall Pumpkin Muffin Recipe: Ingredients And Cooking Instructions
40 Minutes from Prep to Cool
Serves 12
What You’ll Need:
- Standard baking muffin tin (12 individual cups)
- Muffin liners
- 1 cup Swerve
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon each: allspice, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
- Can of organic pumpkin puree (15 oz)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- Teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips (optional)
What To Do:
- Preheat your oven to 375 F. Line your muffin tin with muffin liners.
- Combine both sugars r(or swerve), flour, baking soda and salt, allspice, and cinnamon in a large bowl. (And be sure to use baking soda, not baking powder.
- Whisk your dry ingredients together.
- Grab a second large bowl. Combine organic pumpkin puree, eggs, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk the wet mixture and dry ingredients together. Give them a good beating until the mixture is integrated.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until batter is blended. Mix in chocolate chips if you wish.
- Fill each cup of the muffin tin with your batter.
- Place your muffins in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes.
- Give ‘em the ol’ toothpick test. If your toothpick or knife comes out clean, your muffins are baked.
- Let your organic pumpkin puree muffins cool on a wire rack before serving. Bon Appetit.
Using Organic Pumpkin Puree In Place of Real Pumpkin: Easy And Delicious
Again, one of the things that makes this recipe so easy is the use of organic pumpkin puree. Not only will it help with the evenness of your bake, but it makes for easier prep and cleanup. And did you notice you don’t even need to use vegetable oil?
Of course, you can add your own flair to these muffins – though they are so incredibly tasty on their own. And if you buy extra puree, you’ll be able to make a gorgeous pumpkin pie filling.
Again, you can add chocolate chips and turn them into pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. You could also mix up some flour, butter, and granulated sugar to top your muffins with a yummy streusel topping. Just sprinkle the streusel crumble mixture on top of your muffins mid-bake.
Spice Things Up: Swirl In Low-Fat Cream Cheese And Pumpkin Spice
If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can kick your pumpkin muffins up a notch by swirling in some low-fat cream cheese. And if allspice isn’t your thing, you can replace that spice mixture with ginger. They’re pretty close in flavor, but pumpkin spice has ginger.
Pumpkin Muffin Recipe For Fall
Fall is all about the heaping bounty of harvest fruits and vegetables. While you do want to dig into fall’s best treats, you don’t need to go overboard. Just swap out the sugar for Swerve and use dark chocolate chips instead of milk. That way, even if you’re watching what you eat, you can enjoy one of these muffins and still feel like you’re indulging in a decadent treat that couldn’t possibly be good for you.
Learn More:
Traveling This Holiday Season: 8 Tips To Staying Healthy
How To Improve Quality Of Life As You Get Older
Potential Health Benefits Of Sleeping Well
Sources
1 Alkaloids: Biochemistry, Ecology, and Medicinal Applications (edited by Margaret F. Roberts)
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465813
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23278117
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21110905