Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins! Are they muffins or cupcakes? They are so good they can be whatever you want them to be.

These muffins are moist, flavorful, and low in sugar. They go great with coffee or tea and make a perfect snack. They also make great grab-and-go breakfasts. Add Protein powder to give them a healthy boost.

So what’s in these cake-like muffins of goodness?

I use canned pumpkin when I make these most of the time. However, I have used canned sweet potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes. I have even used leftover sweet potatoes from Thanksgiving and Christmas in these muffins. All Variations turn out great! If my sweet potato leftovers have sugar in them, I cut the sugar back 1/4-/1/2 cup depending on how much sugar was in my sweet potato dish. Don’t worry if there are marshmallows on the sweet potatoes either it all bakes up into a delicious leftover muffin.

Tip: If you are using leftover holiday sweet potatoes, put them in the mixer first and mash them up a bit. That way there are no large chunks in your muffins.

Eggs. I have chickens and absolutely love the eggs they give us. If you have never had a fresh egg before it’s worth a field trip to a local farm or farmers market. The egg yolks are a rich dark yellow or orange. If the chickens have been raised free range, they are foraging for their own food, as God intended for these beautiful creatures. The nutrients you receive from them surpass mainstream egg producers. Plus, the bonus is you know that the chicken your egg came from has a happy, healthy life. I love raising chickens, but the blessing they are is for another post. 

Water, I always use filtered. We have an under-the-sink RO system that I love. It removes almost everything you don’t want in your water.

Sugar. I used pure raw cane sugar because it’s minimally processed. You can substitute the sugar for maple syrup to make these healthier. Maple syrup substitutes are ¾ cup syrup for 1 cup sugar. I am sure other sugar substitutes would work, but I have not tried them.

Greek yogurt is thick and loaded with protein compared to its regular yogurt counterpart. It helps keep these muffins moist. Adding yogurt to quick bread is an excellent way to add protein and create a super moist bread. Greek yogurt is a substitute for oil in quick bread recipes.

If you are trying to clean up your diet, be aware of flavored yogurts. They are usually loaded with sugar and natural flavors. Even the all-natural and organic brands are bad. I would not use flavored yogurt. It adds unnecessary sugars to the muffins and decreases their health value.

If you do not have plain Greek yogurt you can use regular yogurt, sour cream, or coconut oil.

Salt. I have been using pink Himalayan and Celtic salt for years. However, it has only been recently that I have stopped using table salt for baking. I have noticed a huge difference in my raised bread. Table salt is ultra-processed, removing important minerals. Iodine is added back into the salt. Removing minerals is bad, but the thing I dislike the most is the added caking agents. These agents are not good for our health and can kill yeast in bread, along with affecting the outcome of many baked goods.

Himalayan Pink salt has 84 minerals and micro-nutrients compared to the striped table salt.

Celtic Sea Salt has 80 minerals and micro-nutrients compared to table salt.

Spices and Leavening. I use aluminum-free baking powder. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves all have antioxidants and immune-boosting properties. I know these muffins won’t cure you of anything, but choosing quality spices adds to the nutritional content of the calories we eat.

Flour is a tricky one for me. It depends on my mood. I usually use unbleached white flour and unbleached whole wheat white flour. This is what the recipe is written for as well. I have added oats, coconut flour, and almond flour. With each addition, the texture changes slightly. The muffins become more dense when using the heavier flours.

Pecans are optional, but I highly suggest them or any nut you like. It adds a little crunch to the fluffy muffin. Plus it’s more protein and nutrients.

Tip: If you have made our pumpkin creamer and have leftover rubble, you can use it in this recipe.

Let’s get making muffins!

“All you need is love, muffins, and coffee.” – Unknown

As always, thanks for stopping by for some Salty Inspirations! I hope you love these as much as we do!