Best Ever Pumpkin Muffins

I love autumn- it’s my favorite time of year. And I’m bananas over pumpkin anything. Living in the arctic was frustrating because we were shivering in monochrome white by the time everyone else was decorating in beautiful fall colors. We still faithfully carved pumpkins and placed them on the snow covered porch to promptly freeze and later feed the scavenging neighborhood moose who contorted themselves into crazy shapes in order to get low enough to reach their frozen solid pumpkin pops. Now I’m in South Carolina and we just have to pretend it’s fall and eat pumpkin pancakes (click here to see recipe) in the air conditioning. It will eventually cool down and act like autumn- probably about the time we are decorating the Christmas tree.

I brought a couple dozen of these experimental muffins to work last week and not a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask if I know the muffin man (and if I do, to please put in another order.) My recipe is a bit different than most as I incorporated whole grains and healthier fats, cut the sugar down and upped the spices. Honesty overpowers humility in this case- I nailed it! These are the best pumpkin muffins you’ll ever make!

Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 1 dozen

1 cup sugar or ¾ cup honey
½ cup butter or coconut oil
2 eggs
15 ounces or 2 cups pumpkin puree

2 cups flour (we used fresh spelt, you can also use whole wheat or ½ and ½)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 TBSP cinnamon and ginger
½ tsp nutmeg and cloves

In large bowl, mix the sugar/honey, butter/oil, eggs and pumpkin

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices

Add dry ingredients to wet and minimally stir. (Stirring develops gluten and too much gluten will make quick breads tougher. For airy muffins, stir briefly -get over your OCD- and live with a few lumps)

Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.

Carefully place muffins on a baking rack to cool. If feeling decadent (or your children are spoiled rotten like mine) dip the warm muffin tops in a shallow bowl of melted butter and then immediately into cinnamon sugar. This typically triggers a muffin-stuffing feeding frenzy. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.