Fall is here, meaning it’s time for apples and pumpkins. While those fruits lend themselves well to pies and cakes, sometimes I want something a little healthier. Last fall, I discovered this pumpkin muffin recipe from Kristen at Cheap, Healthy, Good. These muffins are high in fiber, low in calories and fat and taste good. Yes, it is possible!
Pumpkin Muffins with Pecan Streusel Topping
Makes 12
Muffin Ingredients
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat bran
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2/3 cup mashed pumpkin
1 cup skim milk
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Topping Ingredients
8 pecan halves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine flour, oat bran, brown sugar, and baking powder.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the pecan halves, butter, and remaining brown sugar and whole wheat flour. Mash with fork until crumbly.
5. Grease muffin tin or line with 12 paper liners. Fill each liner 3/4 full with batter. Sprinkle topping evenly on muffins. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.
My thoughts & modifications:
1. I added 1/2 cup of chopped pecans to the batter and made a little extra streusel topping.
2. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, just combine cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. I actually prefer this since I can adjust the seasonings to suit my taste.
3. Do yourself a favor and use fresh pumpkins. They taste much better than canned. There are several ways to prepare them, all of which are quite easy. I wash mine, halve them and scoop out the seeds. Then I spray them with cooking spray and microwave them for 7-9 minutes. Let cool, scoop out the pulp and use it like you would canned. If you have leftover, pumpkin pulp freezes very well.
Recipe Source: Serious Eats
