PR-umpkin Muffins
Training for a fall race? Implement these PR-umpkin muffins to the mix! They could possibly be implemented for pre and post workout or as an everyday snack between meals.
Ingredients:
⅓ 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
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or can DIY with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice or cloves)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour**
⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
Optional: 2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar for a sweet crunch
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup or honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs, and beat well. Add the pumpkin purée, milk, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt.
Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins***, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with about a tablespoon of oats, followed by a light sprinkle of raw sugar and/or pumpkin spice blend if you’d like. Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. These muffins are delicate until they cool down. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan.
These muffins will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).
NOTES
*OIL OPTIONS: Vegetable oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil can also work
**FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Can use whole wheat flour, gluten free flour, all purpose flour, ETC!
**CHANGE IT UP: Kelsey will ALWAYS use dark chocolate chips, but feel free to add in apple, dried cranberries, nuts, etc
MAKE IT EGG FREE: Readers report that these muffins turn out well with flax eggs!
MAKE IT VEGAN: Use maple syrup, flax eggs and non-dairy milk.
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE: Simply use your non-dairy milk of choice.
MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose blend works well instead of the whole wheat flour.