Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

The seasons are changing, fall is in the air and while this isn't my favorite time of year (I'm a summertime girl) it's my second fav!

I love the flavor of pumpkin, which is why I really look forward to this time of year! Pumpkin is everywhere!

So...this morning I went in search of a pumpkin muffin recipe. I found a couple that were decent recipes, but none that I fell in love with. I wanted this to be healthy for a breakfast option this week so I set to making my own recipe and I have to say they turned out deeeelish!!

 

Ingredients

 

4oz. unsweetened applesauce

1 cup sweetener of choice (I'll discuss this more below)

2 eggs

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt

1/2 cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves (optional)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

 

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Combine applesauce and sweetener of choice in a medium sized mixing bowl with an electric mixer. As you can see in the photo above, I opted to use Splenda Essentials. Lately, I've been trying to go the all natural route and stay away from artificial sweeteners, but I'm not one to throw something away and I had this sitting in my cupboard so I opted to use it. Honestly, you could use white or brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, stevia or whatever you'd like to sweeten it with. If you're going to use honey, maple syrup or agave I would suggest lowering the amount to 3/4 cup or maybe even 1/2 as it may come out way too sweet with a full cup. Do you have a go-to all natural sweetener that you use? If so, please share with me! I'm not a fan of stevia at all - I don't like the bitter aftertaste it leaves.

 

Add eggs into the sugar and applesauce mixture, beating until combined. Add bananas, Greek yogurt, pumpkin and vanilla, beat until smooth. (There will still be some lumps from the banana and that's okay.)

 

 

 

Into the same bowl, add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves. Use a large spoon to mix batter just until combined. (If you have an aversion to all purpose flour, you can most definitely use 2 cups of whole wheat or a combination of whole wheat and coconut flour or spelt flour. It's up to you, but if you omit the all purpose flour make sure to spray your muffin liners with non-stick cooking spray. I've found that coconut flour and spelt flour like to stick to everything. Whole wheat is a pain sometimes as well. That being said, if you mix any of these flours with all purpose flour then you shouldn't need the non-stick cooking spray.)

 

 

 

Line 24 regular sized muffin tins with paper liners. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 

If you make these, let me know how they turn out! Did you change anything? Add anything? Take anything away?

 

You'll have some pumpkin left in your can...take it and put it into an airtight container and throw it in the freezer. I'll be back on Tuesday with another pumpkin recipe using that bit of leftover frozen pumpkin!!

 

Ciao for now, bellas! XOXO

 

 

 

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