Whole-Grain Pumpkin Crumble Muffins

How many pumpkin muffin recipes does a person need? Apparently there is always room for one more. First there was the pumpkin variation of these flax bran muffins. Then there was these pumpkin mini muffins with a gluten-free variation and now here’s new one. The Kitchn just did a pumpkin muffin taste test and the recipe from Lovely Little Kitchen was the winner. It didn’t look that much different from all the others I’d tried but I did love that it used a full 15 ounce can of pumpkin. We are at the time of year where the family really enjoys a muffin and a cup of tea after school so I gave these a whirl.

I’m bothering to post the recipe because I did make some changes right out of the gate. The Kitchn commented on how sweet the muffins were so I immediately lowered the sugar. I also changed up the spices because I love ginger in my pumpkin pie spice but don’t really like nutmeg in sweet applications (savory ones involving potatoes, leeks or onions is a whole other story). I threw in some chopped walnuts because I like a bit of crunch. I omitted the vanilla by accident but the muffins really didn’t need it. Finally, I gilded the lily by topping each muffin with a tablespoon of the crumble/crisp mixture I always have in my freezer. Oh, and I used 100% whole wheat pastry flour. That is so automatic for me I almost didn’t mention it!

I am so glad I tried this recipe. The sweetness level was perfect for our family and the texture is wonderful. They’re soft without being mushy or doughy. I think the melted coconut oil is what does it. 

I got 14 muffins out of this recipe and I know we’ll have no trouble gobbling these up this week. Afternoons are going to be sweeter and more festive!

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 c (8.75 oz) whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/3 c dark brown sugar (I used dark muscovado)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1 15 oz can pumpkin purée (or any puréed squash, canned or homemade)
108 g (1/2 c) coconut oil, melted
1/2 chopped walnuts (optional)
14 TBSP crumble/crisp mixture (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line 14 muffin cups (I used a 12-cup and 2 cups of a 6-cup pan)
  2. Melt the coconut oil and set aside
  3. Whisk together the dry ingredients (through ground cloves) in a small to medium bowl
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin and coconut oil until smooth
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet along with the walnuts, if using. Stir until moistened and no big lumps of flour appear. Because we’re using whole grain flour there is less risk of over-mixing as the gluten in whole wheat flour develops much more slowly
  6. I like to use a large ice cream scoop to portion out the batter evenly among the cups. I filled the wells up to the top and got a nice dome
  7. Top with approximately 1 TBSP crumble mix, if using
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. I started at 20 and needed to add five more. Muffins are done when they are browned and a skewer comes out clean. They will still feel soft in the middle but not squishy
  9. Cool on a rack and then enjoy (ideally with some tea and using a cute little plate-n-cup combo)



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