Ok, I lied. The muffins in the picture aren’t made out of pumpkin; they’re made with Hubbard squash. But let’s not pish-pash over such winter squash details.
I could call them “Hubbard Squash Muffins,” but then how many people would find them when doing a google search for festive baked goods for your Thanksgiving celebration?
But, let’s face it, if I were going to be completely up front about these muffins, I would have to call them something along the lines of “Hubbard Squash Spelt Muffins,” which becomes an ungainly mouthful and rather unappetizing sounding. Which is nothing like how they taste: flavorful but not too sweet; quite addictive, if the second graders who enjoyed them for a birthday treat have anything to say about it.
I made this recipe several times recently because
a) I had an enormous hubbard squash that I broke apart, baked, and pureed and was looking to use, and
b) each batch was eaten sooner than I could assemble bags to send to school for celebrations and to give family friends with a newborn.
The muffins pictured contain a mixture of spelt flour with arrowroot starch and xanthan gum, but I also successfully made the recipe substituting all-purpose wheat baking flour in place of those three.
You may have realized by now that I like to shape my breads in mini-muffin tins. Not only does it help with portion control, but there is just something about mini-muffins that makes them fun to eat. You can certainly prepare this recipe in a loaf pan or regular muffin tin, too. The choice is yours!
Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 1 loaf or about 36 mini muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour, or 2 cups spelt flour + 1/2 tsp. arrowroot starch + 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar, brown sugar, agave, or pure maple syrup
3/4 cup cooked pumpkin or squash puree (canned is fine)
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil or softened butter
1/4 cup milk or milk alternative (coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc.)
1 tsp. real vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, mix the first 6 ingredients (through salt) together and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs vigorously with a whisk until frothy. Cream the rest of the ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stirring constantly to blend all ingredients.
Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until an inserted wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 mins, then turn out onto cake racks. Frost, if desired, but delicious just as they are, too.
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Love a good pumpkin (or winter squash) muffin! And, I’m with you–the mini is great for portion control.