It's Fall! Meaning all things pumpkin are underway! I love pumpkin, no matter what season, but there is something about fall, the leaves changing, and the weather cooling off that brings a whole new meaning to eating and drinking all things pumpkin.
As a Registered Dietitian, I am always finding new ways to substitute healthy items in recipes to make them more nourishing for my family without having to sacrifice taste. These muffins nailed it! Applesauce for oil to decrease the fat content and substituting a portion of almond flour instead of all purpose flour...which increases protein and healthy fats, while decreasing simple carbohydrates. For those who haven't cooked with almond flour before, it's very low in carbohydrates and high in protein and can be used as a substitution for flour, but has a texture similar to brown sugar and will not bind as good as regular flour, leaving the finished product crumbly. I usually do 1/2 and 1/2 with almond and regular flour.
Being the first Saturday of fall, I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! Oh and did I mention that ladders are an essential kitchen tool in our house!
Ingredients:
* Dry:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup truvia
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
* Wet:
- 1 cup pumpkin
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
Steps:
1) Mix dry ingredients in bowl.
2) Mix wet ingredients separately.
3) Combine dry and wet. Do not over mix.
4) Cook on 325-350 deg. for 20-25 min until middle of muffin is set and not doughy.
Optional Crumb Topping
- 1/4 cup of almond flour
- 2 T of truvia
- 1T canola oil
- 1-2 tsp of honey
- 1/4 tsp of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice depending on preference
*** T = tablespoon
*** tsp = teaspoon
