Tag: muffins

Perfect Zucchini Breakfast Muffins

Yes, I recognize that zucchini season is over this year, but maybe you’re like me and you have a summer squash or two still sitting on your counter and can’t allow them to go to waste. Our zucchini plants didn’t amount to much this year, but we had a friend who had an excessive amount of volunteer plants come up. He brought us a number of zucchini a few weeks ago, and I set about to create perfect zucchini breakfast muffins, looking for a balance between flavor and healthier ingredients. 

I think I may have hit the jackpot. The Mr. has been eating four of them for breakfast. My daughter loves them for a treat after dinner, and I have been bringing one or two for a mid morning snack. In a 24 hour period, I believe I made three batches. If that doesn’t tell you they are good, I don’t know what does. I threw about a dozen in the freezer for future snacks and we have been devouring the rest (don’t mind me while I eat two as I type). 

I knew I could likely wait until next year to share this when the timing was right. But these perfect zucchini breakfast muffins are simply too good to share. I know the growing season is finished in Wisconsin, but I am hoping my friends out of the midwest will love to put these together. 

One more thing: The Mr. has always complained when I use banana as a sweetener in baked goods that aren’t supposed to taste like banana. He doesn’t love banana bread to start with. He didn’t even notice the banana in these. Cool, right? 

Okay, enough chatter! Ready to bake? I hope so!

Your Ingredients

  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ⅓-½ cup real maple syrup, depending on your sweetness level
  • 1 ripe banana 
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or Triple Zero Vanilla-no added sugar), room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • ½ tablespoon cinnamon 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, with the water rung out

Your Steps to Perfect Zucchini Breakfast Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 15 muffin tin vessels with liners or by greasing. 

In a large bowl, mash the ripe banana. Add maple syrup, Greek yogurt, vanilla and eggs. Combine well. Stir in the melted coconut oil. 

Place flour in the bowl. On top of that, add cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. Add walnuts, chocolate chips, and zucchini. Mix just enough to combine, but make sure you get to the bottom of the bowl (I always miss that!). 

Fill muffin vessels ¾ of the way full. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and when removed, comes out clean. 

Why did I go muffin instead of bread? I wanted to put serving size treats in the freezer. Then they could go into lunch boxes in the morning and thaw by lunch time. Not a bad idea, right? 

  • Mix up that banana: potato masher works great!
  • Add in the eggs!
  • Dry ingredients: Carefully incorporate to skip an extra bowl.
  • Zucchini, nuts, and some chocolate of course.
  • Getting ready to bake!
  • Let’s snack!

Looking for other sweet treats? Check out my baking page by clicking the button below:

Baking

Perfect Zucchini Breakfast Muffins

The perfect balance between good for you ingredients and flavor and texture, these perfect zucchini breakfast muffins are sure to be a hit!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 15 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup coconut oil melted
  • ⅓-½ cup real maple syrup depending on your sweetness level
  • 1 ripe banana
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • ½ tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • ½ cup chocolate chips optional
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini with the water rung out

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 15 muffin tin vessels with liners or by greasing.
  • In a large bowl, mash the ripe banana. Add maple syrup, Greek yogurt, vanilla and eggs. Combine well. Stir in the melted coconut oil.
  • Place flour in the bowl. On top of that, add cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  • Add walnuts, chocolate chips, and zucchini. Mix just enough to combine, but make sure you get to the bottom of the bowl.
  • Fill muffin vessels ¾ of the way full. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and when removed, comes out clean.
Keyword apple dessert, Breakfast, clean eating, muffins, Quick Bread, sweets, zucchini
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Gosh, I have to tell you, fall is my favorite season. I love the change in colors. Jeans and sweatshirt weather while the sun is still shining. Brisk mornings and sort of warm afternoons. All wonderful, right? And the flavors! It’s soup season and apples are ripening. So many wonderful things, including these spiced pumpkin muffins. 

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I dig making a recipe a touch healthier by substituting maple syrup for regular sugar. I love homegrown ingredients, so of course this was made from pumpkin I roasted (Have you never? You must try! Get the recipe for Roasted Pumpkin here!). And the warming spices. So good in the fall, right? And I don’t know about you, but there’s something so autumn about baking fresh goodies for your friends and family on the weekends.

Okay, enough chatter, let’s get baking some delicious spiced pumpkin muffins! 

Your Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or home roasted
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons oil 
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup oats 
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves 
  • ½ cup chocolate chips or nuts (optional) 

Your Directions to Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and maple syrup. Whisk until well combined. Add flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts if adding. 

Spoon into greased muffin tins, approximately ⅓ cup in each, about ¾ of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until muffins spring back when touched. Allow to cool five minutes in the pan. Then remove and place on a cooling rack to finish.

  • Liquid ingredients combine with
  • dry ingredients to create
  • delicious muffins!
  • Let’s eat!

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Simple and zero refined sugar, these spiced pumpkin muffins are a great recipe for a fall baking weekend!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree canned or home roasted
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup oats
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup chocolate chips or nuts optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or spray muffin tin with non stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and maple syrup. Whisk until well combined.
  • Add flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Mix until just combined.
  • Fold in chocolate chips or nuts if desired.
  • Spoon into muffin tins, approximately ⅓ cup in each, about ¾ of the way full.
  • Bake at for 15-20 minutes, until muffins spring back when touched.
Keyword Breakfast, muffins, pumpkin, quick breads
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

Friends! My blueberry bushes are FINALLY producing enough blueberries to actually create with them. It brings me such joy to see these little splashes of blue among the sturdy green bushes. And while it seems to take a long time to harvest, I find it to be meditative. I do it silently and alone, taking in the sounds and smells; experiencing a nature bath. Once I harvested a pint, I got to work at creating lemon zested blueberry muffins. I have been so excited to share with everyone. 

I dig using oatmeal as a base in quick breads and muffins for the added nutrition and texture. However, I don’t see it mixing well with blueberries. Maybe I am wrong, but this recipe doesn’t use them. (You can check out some that do by checking out my baking page here.) In order to attempt to add some nutrients, I went with coconut oil and some Greek yogurt. I cut the sugar slightly as well. And don’t be afraid to try a quality whole wheat for some of the flour. You may be surprised! Now let’s get baking those lemon zested blueberry muffins. 

Your Ingredients for Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, room temperature (about 70 degrees) 
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon 
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (If frozen, measure frozen)

Your Steps

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut should be solid but soft).  Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined. Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in blueberries. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!

  • A little sugar and coconut oil.
  • Farm fresh eggs. Does it get much better?
  • And the way the blue just pops!
  • Almost there!
  • Let’s go!
  • Perfection!
  • Check that berry goodness!

Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

Does it get more classic than lemon and blueberry? These lemon zested blueberry muffins are more nutrient dense with all the flavor!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 15 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil room temperature (about 70 degrees)
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries If frozen, measure frozen

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut oil should be solid but soft).
  • Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined.
  • Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  • Fold in blueberries.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!
Keyword blueberry, Breakfast, currant muffins, lemon, lemon blueberry
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Red Currant and Lemon Muffins

A crazy amount of years ago, I was at a farmer’s market and tasted a small red berry. It was tart and delicious. I promptly brought a container. I remember loving them so much. What I don’t remember, however, is what type of berry they were. I was sure they were gooseberries, so I bought some bushes. Nope, not it. Then I was sure they had to have been currants. I planted a few bushes of currants, and now that they have come to fruition (haha, see what I did there? Fruition? Fruit. I am not that witty), I am still not sure that was it. So who knows what fruit I loved. But what I know is that I now have currant bushes and with them, I have created these beautifully light and sweet-tart red currant and lemon muffins. 

I developed this recipe by tweaking and adjusting my favorite strawberry bread. You can find that bread by clicking here. These muffins started as currant, but screamed for some lemon zest. I dropped the cinnamon in the strawberry bread and adjusted the moisture just a little bit. 

I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I did. They were a delight to enjoy over the Fourth of July and bring me joy with a perfectly creatd cup of coffee. (I mean, is there much better than a well baked breakfast sweet with a cup of coffee? I think not.)

Your Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup Vanilla Greek yogurt (I dig Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt for zero added sugar)
  • Zest of one large lemon
  • 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 cup currants

Your Steps to Red Currant and Lemon Currant Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 12-16 muffin wells by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix in eggs one at a time. Whisk in yogurt and lemon zest until well combined. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just blended in. Fold in currants. 

Divide the batter among the 12-15 muffin cups, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to cool in the tin a few minutes before removing. I think these are best served warm with a cup of coffee.

  • Cream it up. Don’t quit early!
  • Eggs and vanilla.
  • Add that yogurt for the extra moisture!
  • And some lemon zest!
  • Aren’t they such a pretty ruby red?
  • It’s baking time!
  • Dang good!

Looking for other great baking recipes? Check out my baking page by clicking the button below!

Baking

Red Currant and Lemon Muffins

The zest of lemon and tartness of currants combine to make a red currant and lemon muffins that are moist and full of pockets of delight!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 15 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup Vanilla Greek yogurt
  • Zest of one large lemon
  • 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup currants

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 12-16 muffin wells by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add vanilla. Mix in eggs one at a time.
  • Whisk in yogurt and lemon zest until well combined.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just blended in.
  • Fold in currants.
  • Scoop batter into the muffin tins, filling the wells ¾ of the way full.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until baked through.
Keyword currant muffins, currants, lemon, muffins
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Banana Oat Muffins

I have an eleven year old boy this summer. If you have ever had an eleven year old, you know this means he’s eating CONSTANTLY. We try to encourage healthy foods for his forever snacking, and generally begin our sentences with “have a banana or a string cheese.” Then he eats three of them. What’s a mom to do? This also means we buy bananas in bulk. Most of the time we are making second trips to the grocery store for more. But sometimes we end up with some overly ripe ones. When that happens, I make banana bread, banana ice cream, or banana oat muffins. 

This banana oat muffin recipe is everything you would hope for. They are beautifully dense. Perfectly sweet using maple syrup for the sweetener. They have texture and the right amount of chocolate chips to make anyone happy. And friends, it’s gluten free to boot. It’s full of good for you ingredients and only two tablespoons of oil. How can you go wrong, right? 

These muffins will pair great with your coffee in the morning, as a mid morning snack to get you to lunch time or for a guilt free dessert (although I totally believe in not feeling bad about dessert, but that’s another story for another time). I’m excited for you to give them a try and share them with your littles or your bigs or better yet, keep them to yourself. (You did hear I have an eleven year old right? I have to start hiding my favorite foods and treats from him!) 

Let’s get baking some banana oat muffins

YOUR INGREDIENTS FOR THE BANANA Oat Muffins

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (My go to tool for this? A pastry cutter. It works great AND young kids can easily get involved and do this step for you)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup real maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 mini chocolate chips

Your Steps to the banana Oat Muffins

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 12 muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Then measure out and combine:

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Pulse these three ingredients in a food processor until they are a coarse flour texture.

In an additional bowl, combine:

  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (My go to tool for this? A pastry cutter. It works great AND young kids can easily get involved and do this step for you)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup real maple syrup

Once mixed, stir in the oat mixture until just combined. Finally, fold in the melted coconut oil and 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Fill each muffin using a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until cooked through.

I love that I can enjoy a good breakfast bread that is filling and the perfect amount of sweetness without overdoing it on the added sugar. It is also a perfect mid morning snack to get you to lunch! Give it a try!

Blitz in the food processor
A pastry cutter–the best banana masher!
Blend the oats and bananas
Check that texture and color!

A few Notes…

I always thought that a small, 2 cup food processor was good enough. It’s what my mom used growing up, and if it was good enough for her, it was good enough for me. However, a few holidays ago, I asked for a 7 cup Kitchen Aid Mixer. It’s AMAZING and I can’t tell you how often I use it. Highly recommend the investment. It’s great for chopping veggies for salsa, making oat flour, or even mixing banana ice cream. Click the image below to check out a similar model!

Banana Oat Muffins

Simple wholesome ingredients come together with a food processor to make these gluten free and perfectly sweet banana oat muffins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 bananas very ripe
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a muffin tin by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Combine oats, salt, and baking soda in a food processor. Pulse until a coarse flour texture is obtained.
  • In a large bowl, mash bananas. Add honey and eggs. Mix well.
  • Stir oat mixture into mashed bananas. Add chocolate chips and coconut oil. Mix until just combined.
  • Place about 1/4 cup batter in each cup. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until cooked through
Keyword Banana Bread, Breakfast, Gluten Free
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other Tasty treats?

Check out my baking page or maybe my breakfast page. Or perhaps you want to check out one of my favorites below?

JessLeave a comment

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins: Clean Eating Style

Recently, I put together some delightful sourdough pumpkin muffins. However, all my friends who aren’t sourdough bakers yet (You know you want to! Here’s a great link by King Arthur’s Flour on how to get started!) requested a non-sourdough pumpkin muffin, preferably of the healthy persuasion. After a little bit of testing and trying, here it is! Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins (with chocolate chips!). 

This Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffin pairs well with a warm cup of coffee in the morning. I love that it isn’t overly sweet and that it’s a baked good I can feel good about putting into my body. While it pains me at times, I just can’t do too much sweet in the morning. It leaves me a feeling out of sorts and not fueled the right way to tackle all the big goals I have! 

One more note: This recipe was created using a home roasted pumpkin. If you haven’t tried roasting your own pumpkin yet, I highly recommend it and the time is still right. Pick up a pumpkin or two from the local market, roast them up using the directions you can find here. Then freeze some so you can have fresh pumpkin baked goods all year round!

Okay, enough talking, let’s get baking some Oatmeal Pumpkin muffins my friends! 

Your Ingredients (about 18 muffins)

  • 2 cups pumpkin puree 
  • 2 eggs, room temperature 
  • ⅓ cup real maple syrup (if you like things on the sweeter side, up this to ½ cup) 
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted 
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice (or a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg with a dash of clove)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts 
  • ⅓ cup chocolate chips 

Your Steps to great Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two muffin tins with muffin cups or by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine puree, eggs, and maple syrup. Combine flour, oats, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the walnuts, and chocolate chips. Add coconut oil and stir once more. 

Spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling approximately ¾ of the way. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked all the way through. Marvel at the beautiful texture and promptly pop one in your mouth. Aren’t the melty chocolate chips just the best?!

  • It’s as simple as wet ingredients…
  • …dry ingredients…
  • …spoon into the tin..
  • …and marvel at their beauty!

Tools of the trade

If you’re baking, you need a great muffin tin. If you are fortunate enough to have a pumpkin to roast, I recommend a nice thick baking sheet lined in foil. Looking to get a new one? Check out the links below!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins: Good for you ingredients combine in these pumpkin muffins made from freshly roasted pumpkin!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 18 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • ⅓ cup real maple syrup if you like things on the sweeter side, up this to ½ cup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice or a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg with a dash of clove
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
  • ⅓ cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two muffin tins with muffin cups or by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine puree, eggs, and maple syrup.
  • Combine flour, oats, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Fold in the walnuts, and chocolate chips.
  • Add coconut oil and stir once more.
  • Spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling approximately ¾ of the way.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked all the way through.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Happy Mistake Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

Isn’t it grand when a “happy little mistake” turns out to be a delight? While I have recently adopted the mentality of “what’s the worst that can happen?” when I am cooking and experimenting (by the way the worst that can happen is I learn what DOESN’T work and I throw away a little food), it is always exciting when the experiment turns out to be the best case scenario. That happened for me a week or so ago when I set out to make pumpkin scones. Scones were not the result, but the sourdough pumpkin muffins I created were a hit! 

Let me backtrack A little bit…

I have a great standard scone recipe that I adapt for all sorts of flavors of scones. You can check out one of my sourdough scone recipes here. I generally modify the spices and maybe add some diced fruit or lemon zest. This time, I had freshly roasted pumpkin that I was excited to use and figured it would mix well into the scone recipe. Needless to say, it became a little more damp than I am accustomed to, and I knew scones would be a no go. 

A few minutes of thinking and a few additional ingredients resulted in a batter the perfect consistency for muffins. I allowed it to rest (like a good sourdough bread should do), and lo and behold, a light, full of spice sourdough pumpkin muffins were born. I was so excited to share it with all of you! 

As an aside, it may not be traditional to share the mishaps turned to beauty in the kitchen. I believe in being real in life and on social media, and man, cooking isn’t always pretty. We make mistakes. Burn things, forget the salt, add one too many eggs, or forget just how many cups of flour you put in (Seriously, I use the least amount of measuring cups possible so if that means I have to use the ½ cup 5 times, I am down for it. Sometimes I lose track though. What can I say?) Bottom line, being in the kitchen should be an adventure. Take chances, embrace the mishaps and love the learning. It’s the only way to get better. 

Now let’s get cooking!

Your Ingredients for Sourdough Pumpkin muffins

  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves)
  • ⅓ cup cold butter
  • 1 ½ cups fresh, active sourdough starter
  • 1 cup fresh or thawed pumpkin puree
  • ¼-½ chocolate chips (optional)

Your Steps for Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin tins by greasing or lining with muffin tin liners. Combine all dry ingredients. Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Mix by hand, pinching the butter in your fingers until it’s mixed together-ish. To that mixture, add starter, pumpkin, and chocolate chips. Mix by hand until just combined, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl. Cover. Allow to rest 20-30 minutes. Scoop by ¼ cup full and fill muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean). 

Round out the fall flavor sensation by pairing your freshly baked muffins with some warm apple cider or maybe even a pumpkin spice latte. 

  • Dry ingredients..easy to measure!
  • Wet ingredients, starter and pumpkin, a great pair!
  • Mix by hand and let it rest 20 minutes!
  • Scoop into the muffin tin…
  • ..and perfection!

Tools of the Trade

If you’re baking, you need a great muffin tin. If you are fortunate enough to have a pumpkin to roast, I recommend a nice thick baking sheet lined in foil. Looking to get a new one? Check out the links below!

Roasted Pumpkin Recipe

Looking to roast your own pie pumpkin? Click here to get the recipe!

Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

Sourdough discard mixed with fresh roasted pumpkin puree make for a delightful sourdough pumpkin muffin.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 16 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ⅓ cup cold butter
  • 1 ½ cups fresh active sourdough starter
  • 1 cup fresh or thawed pumpkin puree
  • ¼-½ chocolate chips optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Prepare muffin tins by greasing or lining with muffin tin liners.
  • Combine all dry ingredients. Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture.
  • Mix by hand, pinching the butter in your fingers until it’s mixed together-ish.
  • To that mixture, add starter, pumpkin, and chocolate chips.
  • Mix by hand until just combined, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl.
  • Cover. Allow to rest 20-30 minutes.
  • Scoop by ¼ cup full and fill muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Whole Wheat Gooseberry Muffins

A number of years ago, I tried a berry at a farmer’s market. There must have been samples, but the memory is vague. I loved the berry I tried, and told my husband we had to grow them. The following year, we purchased two gooseberry plants. I was so excited! A year later, we had berries. I tried them, and they weren’t at all what I remembered. (In hindsight, I think I had currants at the farmer’s market.) That’s life, right? Maybe it’s just my life. But luckily, I really loved the flavor that gooseberries had. Needless to say, I was grateful for my mishap. Recently, a friend stopped by, asked, what the plant was, and subsequently, what I use them for. Previously, I had only just snacked on them. Once I made a gooseberry gin jam (YUM!). Now I can say with confidence that they make slightly tart and sweet whole wheat gooseberry muffins that are delish! 

They are kind of cute, aren’t they?

But what does a gooseberry taste like?

Never had a gooseberry? They are about the size of a large blueberry, but look like a miniature watermelon with the texture of a grape. Typing that just makes me smile. It almost sounds like a description from a Dr. Seuss book, but I think it’s a great description. They can tart like a green grape or sweeter like a red grape. They grow on bushes with some gnarly thorns. I see that as part of the adventure of having them…can I get away without getting pricked? 

Anywho…we had a bumper crop this year, and I wanted to do more than freeze them. I wanted to bake. I love the way this recipe turned out. They have texture and beautiful color. The flavor is reminiscent of rhubarb with the sweet tart combination. Don’t have gooseberries on hand? I am certain that blueberries would be a great alternative and can’t wait to give that a try too! 

Your Ingredients for Gooseberry Muffins

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg 
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup milk 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 1 ½ cups gooseberries, cleaned (1 ½ cups if you dig the tart flavor. 1 cup if you want it a little sweeter) 

Your steps 

If you haven’t yet, nip off the ends on the gooseberries. You only want the berry portion in the muffin. Then, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line a muffin tin. This recipe will result in approximately 12 muffins. 

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. 

In a small bowl, whisk egg. Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla, and olive oil. Whisk well. After the wet ingredients have combined, pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Fold in cleaned gooseberries. Again, you can use one to one and a half cups, depending on your preference of flavor. My family loves tart (think, rhubarb bread and pie), so I add more berries. 

Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to cool in the tin a few minutes before removing. I think these gooseberry muffins are best served warm with a cup of coffee. 🙂 

Dry ingredients mixed together.
Whisk the wet ingredients. I like to use a fork.
Combine together.
Fold in berries.
Fill 3/4 of the way full.
Rest a little sweet muffins.
Just check out that texture. Yum!

Gooseberry Muffins

Sweet and tart combine for a muffin reminiscent of a rhubarb bread in these gooseberry muffins. You'll love the tart surprise you get as you bite into one.
1 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 – 1 ½ cups gooseberries cleaned (1 ½ cups if you dig the tart flavor. 1 cup if you want it a little sweeter)
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • If you haven’t yet, nip off the ends on the gooseberries. You only want the berry portion in the muffin.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line a muffin tin. This recipe will result in approximately 12 muffins.
  • In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk egg. Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla, and olive oil. Whisk well.
  • Pour into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in cleaned gooseberries.
  • Again, you can use one to one and a half cups, depending on your preference of flavor.
  • Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.
  • Allow to cool in the tin a few minutes before removing.
Keyword Breakfast, gooseberry, muffin, muffins
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Hints and Tips

If you opt for all purpose flour rather than whole wheat, you may want to decrease the milk by a ½ tablespoon or so. Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all purpose flour does. If you don’t decrease it, you may have a wetter batter. 

Fun fact! Upon further research, I learned that gooseberries were made illegal in the United States in the early 1900’s. They are also in the currant family! No wonder I confused the two 🙂 If you’re interested in the history, check it out here!

Looking for more recipes? Click the links below:

Baking
Canning and Perserving

Jess7 Comments

Apple and Oatmeal Muffins

At our house, we get very few days where both my husband and I are not working, getting to enjoy a true “weekend.” He’s a property manager of a state park which means his busy time is the opposite of my teacher schedule’s busy time. When we do get those special days that we are both home, breakfast can be a production. He’s in charge of the eggs (for all of the cooking I love to do, he still makes the best eggs…scrambled, omelette, you name it, he can do it). As for me, I love to put together some sort of baked good, warming the house with the oven and making the house smell just delightful.

This past weekend, I was inspired by all the muffins I saw on social media. What resulted was this clean, healthy apple and oatmeal muffin. Texture in the oatmeal and apple and just the right amount of cinnamon. My family approved and ate them all week. I loved them for a mid morning snack while I have been checking up on my students virtually. If you have a busy lifestyle, mix up a double batch and throw them in the freezer. 

Note that I have been into using maple syrup for my sweetener because we have it on hand and it’s a fun way for me to challenge myself to make the swap for refined sugar. If you don’t have access to maple syrup there are a few options here: 

  • Use honey instead 
  • Use regular sugar (or maybe brown for a hint of molasses?) and leave out the flax to compensate for dry ingredient addition. 

Okay, enough talk. Let’s get baking so you and your family can enjoy these muffins too!

Your ingredients (for approximately 18 regular sized muffins):

  • 2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (If you don’t have this, you can leave it out, but I would replace with flour to keep the consistency right)
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¾ cup maple syrup 
  • ⅓ cup oil of your choice (vegetable, olive, coconut)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 apple, peeled and diced (about 1 cup) 
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (optional-if you dig additional texture)

Your Steps to Apple and Oatmeal Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and move a rack to the center of the oven. In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, mix milk, maple syrup, oil, egg. Mix into the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Fold in apples. Pour into greased or line muffin tins approximately ¾ of the way full. Bake for 16-22 minutes. Enjoy right out of the oven with just a hint of butter, because if you ask me, there isn’t much better than a baked good straight out of the oven with a very small tab of butter. Yum!

  • Getting mixed..
  • …and a little more
  • Diced apples
  • Ready for the pan
  • Now for the oven..
  • …Ready for my belly!
Apple and Oatmeal Muffins

Looking for more baking recipes? Check out my baking page here!

Apple and Oatmeal Muffins

Light and full of good for you ingredients, these muffins will hit the spot and be on the table in 30 minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed If you don’t have this, you can leave it out, but I would replace with flour to keep the consistency right
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 apple peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • ½ cup chopped nuts optional-if you dig additional texture

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees and move a rack to the center of the oven.
  • In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
  • In a separate bowl, mix milk, maple syrup, oil, egg.
  • Mix into the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Fold in apples and nuts.
  • Pour into greased or line muffin tins approximately ¾ of the way full. Bake for 16-22 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment