No one should choose between healthy, pumpkin and chocolate. Have it all with these Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins.
If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you have perhaps noticed one common theme in my recipes:
I love muffins.
And when I save love, I mean a serious, deep L-O-V-E of muffins. In a perfect calorie-free world (i.e. heaven) I would/will bake a batch of fresh muffins every. Single. Day. Since this month's Recipe Redux challenge was to share a freezer meal, I knew I had to share a new muffin recipe, perfect for the season. When I make muffins, I try to make a double batch. Then I store them in a gallon Ziploc bag in the freezer for a quick and healthy breakfast. {Just reheat in 20 second intervals till it is the temperature you prefer. I like them a little warm.}
I do have a mission with muffins. My mission, and I choose to accept it, is to make delicious AND healthy muffins. It is totally possible friends. {If you haven't yet, check out all my muffin recipes HERE.}
Being that it is fall, and everyone is going ga-ga for pumpkin, I set out recently to make another version of a healthy pumpkin muffin: Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins -- because why should you have to choose between pumpkin and chocolate?! Truthfully, I was kind of torn between making my Honey Pumpkin Muffins and my Chocolate Strawberry Muffins so I decided to combine the recipes to make something new.
The results, friends, is magical.
Every member of Team Braddock gobbled these guys up. They are soft and airy with an incredible light pumpkin flavor finished with the deep cocoa flavor. They are perfect for a quick breakfast or morning snack.
I swapped out my usual buttermilk for regular milk in this recipe to help make the ingredients list stuff you always have on hand. The only "unusual" ingredient is whole wheat pastry flour. Pretty much all of my whole grain recipes use this type of flour because it produces a much lighter baked good. I've made way too many hockey pucks in the past when using regular whole wheat flour and I'm over that.
PrintRecipe
Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 12 -15 1x
Description
No one should choose between healthy, pumpkin and chocolate. Have it all with these Healthier Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup honey
- 1 egg
- ½ cup 1% or 2% milk
- 1 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with muffin papers.
- Add butter to a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add brown sugar to bowl and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Next add pumpkin puree and honey and continue beating until well incorporated.
- Add egg and mix to combine. Then add milk and mix well. Batter may be slightly clumpy but that is OK.
- Pour in flour and baking soda and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Lastly, add in cocoa powder, flaxseed and cinnamon. Mix on low just until fully combined.
- Fill muffin holes 75% full with batter. Bake for 18-19 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove to fully cool on baking rack.
Notes
An ice cream scoop works perfectly for putting batter in muffin pan.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Muffin
You can probably make this recipe with ingredients you already have on hand. I always keep these staples in my pantry, regardless of the time of year:
Canned Pumpkin, Honey, Cocoa Powder, Ground Flaxseed, & Cinnamon
I think these are super healthy ingredients that you should always have on hand too. A tool I find very helpful when making muffins is this ice cream scoop. It dishes out the perfect amount of batter and keeps your fingers clean.
So, if you love pumpkin, chocolate and muffins, you HAVE to try this recipe. Let this be a healthier ushering in of the fall with REAL pumpkin and nourishing food.
To REAL pumpkin and fall foods,
Jenna
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