These pumpkin spice muffins are perfect for cozy fall days. They’re easy, delicious, fibre-rich and filling which makes both the mom and dietitian in me happy!
I must admit- I’m not completely devastated that summer is coming to a close (even though I LOVE summer), because Fall is my absolute favourite time of year. The warm days but cool mornings and evenings, the beautiful leaves, the Fall wardrobe, and of course, warm comfort foods and drinks like butternut squash soup and pumpkin spice lattes.
Whenever my kids and I make these wholegrain pumpkin spice muffins, it’s a signal that fall is coming! The dietitian in me loves that they’re so nutritious; full of fibre, vitamins and minerals and antioxidants.
One of my favourite things to do with baking is play around with the recipe until it’s as nutritious (and low sugar) as possible, without sacrificing taste. Don’t get me wrong- there are some recipes that you just don’t mess with (like most cookies and treats – those are meant to have all the sugar!!), but this one is considered more of a breakfast option or snack, so I wanted to maximize nutrition and minimize the added sugar.
I also love to create baby-friend and vegan alternatives if I can, so that it’s as versatile as possible. With this recipe, over the years, I’ve cut back on the amount of granulated sugar and added ripe banana for natural sweetness and moisture, and then create a vegan buttermilk option that is easier on my stomach (if you’re intolerant to dairy, you might want to try this!). I’ve also been trying to use more plants in my baking, so I’ve experimented with chia eggs, and it’s worked out great! See below for substitutions.
School-safe and freezer-friendly!
The mom in me, of course, loves that these muffins take no time to make and that my kids love them. They’re also school-safe, which makes my life easier when it comes to packing lunches! I always make a double batch because I like to maximize my time, and they freeze so well. To freeze, I allow them to cool, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then put them all into a larger freezer-safe baggy. Throw them into lunches frozen and they’ll help everything else stay cool too!
Want to make it vegan?
This recipe is easily transformed into a vegan muffin by using chia eggs (1 tbsp ground chia + 2.5 tbsp water PER egg), and a vegan buttermilk alternative. To make vegan buttermilk: add one to two tablespoons lemon juice to a plant-based milk alternative (such as soy milk, almond milk or oat milk) to measure one cup. Stir the mixture, let it stand for five to ten minutes or until thickened (curdled). Easy!
Want to make it toddler-friendly?
Easy Wholegrain Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Pumpkin spice and everything nice with these filling muffins!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup bran cereal (bran flakes, regular all bran or rolled oats work best)
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 eggs (or chia eggs), lightly beaten
- 1.5 cups buttermilk or vegan alternative
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 can (14 oz) pure pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Gather two 12-cup muffin tins, lightly greased or lined with paper cups and preheat oven to 375 F (or 350 F if you have a super hot oven).
- In large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, bran or oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- In another large bowl, combine eggs (or chia eggs), buttermilk (or vegan alt), pumpkin, banana and oil.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and pour in wet mixture all at once. Gently fold together until just combined- do not over-mix.
- Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake in pre-heated oven for 18 minutes.
Notes
To make it vegan, substitute the milk for a dairy free buttermilk alternative: Add one to two tablespoons lemon juice to a plant-based milk alternative (such as soy milk or almond milk) to measure one cup. Stir the mixture, let it stand for five to ten minutes or until thickened (curdled).
For the eggs, use chia eggs instead! Per egg, stir 1 tbsp ground chia with 2.5 tbsp water.
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As a registered dietitian I love finding creative ways to incorporate locally sourced nourishing ingredients into my baked goods, like…LENTILS! Lentils are packed full of plant-based protein, dietary fibre and vitamins and minerals. They are also budget-friendly, SO versatile and accessible.
Not only have I included Canadian lentils, but I’ve also used other Canadian-grown ingredients like wheat flour, eggs, butter, and oats. Visit Canadian Food Focus (canadianfoodfocus.org) to learn more about nourishing Canadian ingredients, from farm to fork !
Makes 12 large cookies
Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg (room temperature)
• ¾ cup cooked red lentils
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour (all-purpose or whole wheat are both fine)
• ½ cup rolled or quick-cooking oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (or chunks)
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet
2. Cook your red lentils as per the package (or as I’ve described above)
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (butter, brown sugar, egg, lentils, vanilla)
4. To that bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt)/ Fold those into the wet ingredients (do not over-mix).
5. Fold in the chocolate chips
6. With a spoon, scoop out about ¼ cups worth of batter (for one cookie) and evenly distribute one dozen onto the cookie sheet. Top with a tiny bit of coarse sea salt if desired.
7. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, checking at the 13-minute mark (as some ovens are hotter than others). You want your cookies slightly under-baked. Enjoy!
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Comments
Any recommendations on a gluten free option to replace the bran cereal?
Good question. How about 1/2 cup of ground flax and 1/2 cup of gluten-free oat bran?
These muffins are delicious!!! The whole family loved them. I will be baking these often. Thank you Sarah!
Thank you so much, Diane! I’m so glad you love them as much as we do. <3
I have been using your site for years now, as a database for some of most valued recipes Spence my daughter has always been a challenging eater!
This is yet another wonderful recipe! Thank you. I did change some things however;
I used 1/2c oats and subbed thr other half for 1/4c ground flax, as well as subbing one of the bananas for a whole grated medium zucchini (squeezing the excess water out before adding), I also subbed thr coconut oil for canola oil and lastly, I used only 1/3c sugar and 4 dates which got chopped up after adding everything into the food processor.
Again, really really great recipe, one that I will be adding into my regular rotation, so thank you!
Love those substitutions! Thanks for stopping by, Amanda! I really appreciate your support.
I made these with my 3.5 yr old today (she chose the recipe) and they were a hit with the whole family. I love that this yields 24 muffins; I froze half for next week when they will almost definitely be requested again.
Yahoo! That’s awesome. I love to hear it!