These muffins are delicious and a great way to get vegetables into something that feels like a treat. These are great as part of breakfast, with a cup of tea or with a lovely bowl of soup!
If you are making these around Halloween, they are a great way to use up pumpkin flesh and reduce waste.
The Health Stuff (in brief)
Besides being delicious, these muffins also have a good health profile:
Fibre - from low GI pumpkin or butternut, seeds and (optional) wholemeal flour.
Antioxidants - from herbs and turmeric
Protein - from cheese, eggs and seeds
Calcium - from cheese and milk (may vary if using non-dairy options)
Vitamin B12 - from eggs and dairy
Vitamin A - from pumpkin. An essential nutrient for keeping the immune system strong, good vision, skin health and gut barrier function.
Variations & Top Tips
You can choose the best combination of ingredients for you!
Squash: pumpkin or butternut work well. Even sweet potato can be used! I find that some squash can be drier than others, so if yours feels very dry, consider adding a few extra teaspoons of milk.
Cheese: cheddar, goat or blue cheese work well. You can mix and match - this is a great recipe for finishing of small bits of cheese lurking in your fridge.
Herbs: chives, sage, thyme, oregano or rosemary. Fresh herbs taste best, but you can use dried.
Flour: plain flour or wholemeal. You will need to use a little less wholemeal as it does make the mix a little drier. I always strongly recommend organic flours if you can, as wheat is very highly sprayed with glyphosate.
Seeds: swap pumpkin seeds for sunflower, sesame or poppy
Dairy: you can use dairy-free milk and cheese. I haven't personally used dairy-free cheese, so I can't vouch for the taste or mouth-feel. Use lower lactose cheeses if lactose is problematic for you.
I personally love the combination of pumpkin, blue cheese and sage, but I have tried most of the variations above and they are all good!
Healthy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
Makes 10
Ingredients
250g wholemeal spelt flour OR 275g plain white flour
2 heaped tsp baking powder
Salt - generous pinch
Black pepper - 2-3 grinds
1/2 tsp turmeric
85g butter (or coconut oil), melted
100g cheese (your choice!), grated / chopped into small blocks
275g pumpkin or butternut, peeled and grated
2 tbs finely chopped herbs (chives, sage, rosemary, thyme etc)
2 eggs
175ml milk (your choice)
2 tbs pumpkin seeds
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a muffin tin with 10 cases (paper or silicone).
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and turmeric together in a large bowl.
Stir through the cheese, pumpkin and herbs.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together. Stir until just combined - it's OK if there's a little bit of dry flour. Overmixing will = tough muffins.
Fill the muffin cases 2/3 full and top with a sprinkling of seeds
Bake for 15-20 minutes, using a toothpick to ensure they are cooked through.
These are really best eaten within 24-48hrs of making. If they won't be eaten within that time, freeze them on the day of baking (once cooled) and keep in a sealed container in the freezer.
They defrost quite quickly at room temperature.
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