P u m p k i n S p i c e d M u f f i n s
From 29th October, 2020.
We've been on a mission this month to SAVE THE PUMPKINS, after we found out that over half of the TWENTY FOUR MILLION halloween pumpkins we carve every year in the UK end up as food waste ! If you’re looking for ideas for what to do with yours, Hannah has created 'Autumn in a muffin’ with these crumble topped pumpkin spiced beauties. You’re welcome !
What You'll Need (makes 10-12 muffins) ...
For the muffins:
- One and a half tablespoons of ground flax or chia seeds (soaked for 5-10 mins in 5 tbsp of water to make a flax/chia egg)
- One ripe banana (mashed)
- 245g of pumpkin puree (make your own with your leftover pumpkins!)
- 120g of coconut sugar
- 75g of roughly ground almonds, walnuts or pumpkin seeds
- 120g of plain flour
- 60g of oats
- 60ml of maple syrup
- 60ml of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- Half a teaspoon of sea salt
- One teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- One teaspoon of ground ginger
For the crumble-topping:
- One tablespoon of coconut sugar
- Three tablespoons of rough chopped almonds, walnuts or pumpkin seeds
- One tablespoon of nut butter or tahini
- A quarter of a teaspoon sea salt
- Two teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- A quarter of a teaspoon of ground ginger
How to make them ...
First, make your pumpkin puree. Wash, cut and deseed the pumpkin, drizzle in olive oil, and sprinkle over a generous pinch each of cinnamon and sea salt. Roast for 35-40 minutes or until tender (avoid over-cooking as this will alter the taste of your puree). Mash using the back of a fork. If you have more than you need for this recipe, the puree can also be added to porridge, smoothies, other baking recipes, dips and pumpkin spice lattes.
Preheat your oven to 175 degrees C, and lightly grease a muffin tray using vegan spread or olive oil.
Next, make the flax/chia egg. Grind one and a half tablespoons of flax or chia seeds in a blender, then transfer to a large mixing bowl and add 5 tablespoons of water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes. Gently mash the banana into the bowl, leaving some chunks of banana that are not fully mashed, this will give a bit of texture through the muffins.
Next, add the coconut sugar and wet ingredients; the pumpkin puree, the maple syrup, the olive oil, the vanilla extract and the water. Then, gently mix through the baking/bicarb soda, ground almonds, oats, and flour. Stir gently to combine the ingredients, you want it so that all the ingredients are mixed, but so that there is still some texture (the batter should be thick and easy to scoop using a spoon).
Spoon the mix into the muffin tray. It should make around 10-12 medium-sized muffins.
Finally, make the crumble topping. Simply put all the ingredients in a blender and blitz for around 5 seconds (you may need to mix and scrape down the sides before blending again for a few seconds until a sticky crumb forms). Sprinkle the crumb on top of the muffins, and bake for around 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a knife comes out clean (check at around 25 minutes).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five or so minutes in the muffin tray. Remove gently and cool on an oven/cooling rack (if you can resist!).
Enjoy on their own with a pumpkin spice latte, serve with a dollop of your favourite yoghurt, fresh fruit and a sprinkle of pumpkin and sesame seeds, or slice, warm in the oven, and spread with tahini or nut butter.
(The muffins will keep for 3-4 days if kept in a sealed container - keep at room temperature for maximum deliciousness. They can also be frozen, but fresh is always best in our opinion.)