People often write or ask me for healthy breakfast recipes. It seems that everyone wants to make a healthier version of muffins or sweet breads that is not only easy to make, but something they can also feel good about giving to their families at the start the day. This recipe is a good one to try. They are not too sweet, high in fiber, low in fat, and quite tasty. I call them drop muffins as it seems to be the best way to describe these little cakes that do not bake in muffin tins but have the moist texture of such. I prefer them made with a sweet combination of raisins and dried cranberries or fresh blueberries, but we have made them using semi sweet chocolate chips as well.
If you want to make them fresh, but are crunched for time in the mornings, prepare the dry and wet ingredients separately the night before and mix them up in the morning when you get up. Put them in the oven while you go about your morning rituals and they will be ready for breakfast. They are also quite good sliced in half and toasted with a little jam. So don't put the pressure on yourself to bake them fresh.
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Pumpkin Drop Muffins Makes 8-10 large muffins. For all ingredients, please consider using those that are organically grown. |
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| 1 15 ounce can | pumpkin puree |
| 2/3 cup | unsweetened plant-based milk of your choice, I use almond |
| 1/2 cup | unsweetened applesauce |
| 1 teaspoon | vanilla extract |
| 1/3 cup | maple syrup |
| 2 cups | spelt flour, whole wheat flour will work as well |
| 4 teaspoons | baking powder |
| 1 1/2 teapoons | cinnamon |
| 1 teaspoon | ground ginger |
| 1/2 teaspoon | freshly ground nutmeg |
| pinch | ground cloves |
| 1/2 teaspoon | sea salt |
| 1/2 cup | dried fruit of your choosing, fresh blueberries, or chocolate chips |
| 1-2 teaspoons | raw or turbinado sugar for sprinkling (optional) |
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Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a medium size bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, milk, applesauce, vanilla, and maple syrup. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the dried fruit of your choice or fresh berries. Line a baking sheet with a parchment and spray with an oil spray as the muffins tend to stick. I like to use silicone mats for this as they are ideal as they require no spray. Use a large spoon or a large ice cream scoop with a release handle to scoop the batter onto the prepared pan. They do not spread much so they should all fit nicely on one baking sheet. If you like, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a little raw sugar before you put them in the preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are somewhat firm to the touch and golden brown. Serve warm or store at room temperature in a sealed container for a few days. |
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