Hello friends! These pumpkin applesauce muffins remind me of fall… even though autumn is not really an official “season” here in Philippines. We like to pretend it is, though, and it’s easy to do when a typhoon rolls through and it gets dark and stormy like it did this past week. If the air-con is turned up high enough, we can cuddle up under a cozy blanket, watch the winds outside, and think to ourselves it must be cold enough to turn on the oven and bake something.
These muffins were a result of that occurrence this week, using my recent favorite ingredient: pumpkin. I’ve been eating a LOT of pumpkin lately. It’s highly nutritious with its commendable levels of beta-carotene, potassium and fiber, while being relatively low in carbs compared to most starchy vegetables. Pumpkin is extremely versatile as well- I’ve roasted it for dinner, mashed it up in my morning oatmeal, whirled it with cocoa powder & peanut butter to make no-bake brownies, mixed it with egg whites to flip into pancakes, and here: baked with applesauce & oat flour into cinnamon-laced, walnut-studded muffins. Pumpkin is my hero, fall or not.
Sara mentioned one day last week that I should “make muffins more often.” And she’s right, I should! I was in a “muffin-making rotation” for a long time, so that we had them on hand at all times. What happened?? I’m not really sure, but it somehow fell by the wayside. So these little guys are my way of getting back on the muffin-making kick. And it’s truly not that hard- they’re a breeze to whip up, use ingredients I always have on hand, and bake in about 15 minutes. I really have no excuses not to make them!
And the best thing? I can easily fit a muffin or two into my “prep diet”, even though I’m more restricted in calories and fats right now. This recipe uses no sugar and no oil, yet the end result is a moist, lightly sweet little muffin that’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, or anytime of day. Add a little drizzle of honey like the kids do to take it to the next level.
Let me know if you try these. I love hearing your comments. Happy Friday, folks!
Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins
Notes
If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats, and substitute 2 T. coconut flour for the whole-wheat flour.
Ingredients
- ½ cup cooked pumpkin, mashed (can use canned pumpkin puree)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 T. flaxseed meal
- ¼ c. almond butter
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 cup oats, ground into flour (can sub 1 cup oat flour)
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ - 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (can sub 2 T. coconut flour + 2 T. coconut sugar)
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 2 t. baking powder
- ½ t. baking soda
- ¼ t. salt
- 2 T. walnuts (½ oz), chopped, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Spray a medium-sized muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together the pumpkin and applesauce in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle over the flaxmeal and let stand to gel for 5 minutes. Then add almond butter, almond milk, and vanilla, and whisk well.
- Next add flours, protein powder (or coconut flour & sugar), cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix with a few swift strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.
- Scoop into muffin cups and sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.
- Bake for about 15-16 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Makes 12.
Is this 200 degrees c or f? I’m used to f and have never seen a muffin recipe use such a low temperature. Thanks!
Hi Emilie, thanks for your comment and yes, it’s 200C or 400F. So sorry for the confusion! Normally I put both temperatures on there but apparently I spaced it out this time. 😉 Happy baking!