Pumpkin Muffins

Quick Admin Note: On Sunday and Monday, I’m going to be working on launching a new design for the Macheesmo because I’m a perfectionist and don’t like some of the features with the current layout.  Because of that, there won’t be a new post on Monday and the site might be down for a bit over those two days.  It’s all for the best though.  The new layout is slick.

I’m sure that I’m not the only person in the world who goes over-board on pumpkin buying.  I always imagine making tons of pies and so I buy a huge amount of canned pumpkin at some point in the Fall only to have it sit in my pantry for years.

So when Fall actually comes around, I’m always itching to use up some of the pumpkin in my pantry to make room for… more pumpkin.

It’s a sick cycle, but one that results in pretty delicious food.

Pumpkin Muffins

Just a moment please...

Yield

12 muffins

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Pumpkin and spices mixed in with pumpkin seeds makes for a perfect Fall muffin.

Ingredients

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 large egg

1 Cup milk

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 Cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 Cup pumpkin seeds, roasted

1 Teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cinnamon

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Helpful Equipment

Directions

1) Mix milk, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.

2) In a separate, larger bowl, mix together the dry ingredients including the pumpkin seeds.

3) Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Then stir in melted butter.

4) Butter 12 muffin tins and divide muffin batter between the tins.

5) Bake the muffins at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes until they are lightly browned and cooked through.

6) Let cool briefly before serving. Serve with pumpkin butter if you can!

Making the Batter

This is a pretty standard muffin batter that I just mixed in a few add-ins.  Instead of normal sugar, I used brown sugar.  Plus some pumpkin, seeds, vanilla, and cinnamon and you’re looking at a nice spin on a classic muffin.

Standard muffin business.

To get the batter started, mix all the liquid ingredients (milk, egg, and vanilla) with the pumpkin puree.  Stir this until it’s an even texture.

The liquid stuff.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients including the pumpkin seeds.

If you’re carving pumpkins, feel free to use the seeds in the pumpkin.  You just want to make sure that you roast them first.  Dry off the seeds, toss them with a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt, and bake them at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.

Roasting them will give the seeds a much better flavor and texture.

Get it?

When your dry ingredients are stirred together, go ahead and mix in the wet stuff.

Stir this together until it’s in a rough batter.  It’s okay if there are a few lumps.  It doesn’t need to be perfect!

Smells good already.

As a final step, stir in the melted butter and mix everything together really well.

Butter always helps.

Baking the Muffins

Besides the butter that you add to the muffins, I also recommend using a small dab of butter to lube up the muffin tins.  If you don’t do this, your muffins might stick really badly to the pan which is never fun.

You could also use paper wrappers if that’s more your style.

Once your tin is buttered lightly, divide the batter evenly among twelve tins.  It’s okay to fill them up pretty high.

Butter those tins.

Bake these guys at 375 degrees for about 18-20 minutes.

When they come out, let them cool for a minute or two and then you can remove the muffins from the tin.  The finished muffins should be a light golden brown color.

Good lookin’ muffins.

I like to serve these muffins with butter or, if you can get your hands on some, a good pumpkin butter!

Pumpkin butter would’ve been ideal…

I think the pumpkin seeds kind of make this recipe.  I love the color and subtle pumpkin flavor that the puree gives the muffins, but the seeds are like these little surprises in the muffins that give it some crunch and saltiness.

If you have some leftover pumpkin in the next month or two (and who doesn’t), give these guys a shot!