Pumpkin-apple breakfast muffins

Date

10.10.17

CategoryFood

Get added vitamins and healthy fats from squash seeds.

"Made with protein-packed, crunchy pepitas, these good-for-you pastries also call for white whole wheat flour, which has the same amount of fiber and nutritional value as regular whole wheat flour, but with less of that nutty flavor," says Denver-based chef and recipe developer Julia Heffelfinger. "This milder taste lets the sweetness of the pumpkin really shine through." After your muffins come out of the oven, be sure to transfer them to a cooling rack after a few minutes or the bottoms will get soggy from sitting in the hot pan, she adds.

Yields one dozen muffins

Also in this series: Pumpkin Spiced Lassiand Pumpkin and Coconut Overnight Oats

Ingredients

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (see note)

1 cup unsweetened chunky apple sauce

½ cup maple syrup

2 large eggs

1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup roasted salted pepitas, plus more for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 12 standard size muffin cups with paper liners or grease them with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree with the apple sauce, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in the ¼ cup of pepitas.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups and sprinkle with additional pepitas as desired. Bake the muffins for 22 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely. They can be stored in the fridge for up to one week.

NOTE:

Look for regular canned pumpkin puree (preferably organic) at the store, not the version flavored with pumpkin pie spices since the latter contains added sugar.

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