Makes: 12 muffins
1¾ cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice or cloves
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup maple syrup or honey
2 eggs**, at room temperature
1 cup pumpkin*** purée
¼ cup milk**** of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ pumpkin seeds, toasted
½ cup dark chocolate chips
More old-fashioned oats and cinnamon for sprinkling on the tops before baking, if desired
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare your baking pan: grease twelve cups of your muffin tin with coconut oil, non-stick cooking spray or use paper liners.
In a large bowl blend the dry ingredients with a whisk: Flour(s), salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice or cloves. Mix in oats. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup or honey together with a whisk. Add eggs, and beat well. Mix in the pumpkin purée, milk, vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix with a large spoon, just until combined (over mixing can produce a “rubbery” muffin). Add the pumpkin seeds and chocolate chip just before mixing is complete.
Divide the batter evenly between the twelve muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a small amount of oats, followed by a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Bake muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool prior to removing them from the pan.
Notes:
* Flour: OR you may use 1 cup organic whole wheat flour and ¾ cup organic all-purpose flour. Flours should total 1 ¾ cups. You may choose what suits your taste and what you have on hand.
**To make it egg free: Use 2 flax eggs: For Each Flax egg use 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons of hot water. Let mixture stand a few minutes until thickened.
*** Pumpkin puree: you may use Pumpkin, Kuri, or Butternut puree. To make puree simply cut open your squash, scoop out seeds, remove skin if older/tougher, chop squash, simmer in a pot with a small amount of water for a few minutes until tender. Then drain & mash your squash.
**** Milk of choice: you may use traditional dairy or a dairy-free choice (almond, soy etc).