Do you ever have those moments when you happen upon something that is too good not to share? OK, that is me today with these muffins. Oh. My. Goodness.
I have made a few meals this week that didn’t exactly go over well with my kiddos. Oh, well. Win some, lose some, right? I will note these disasters results in my meal planning binder and move on. But, I felt the need to redeem myself, and I really was due for a win.
I had picked up a box of pumpkin quick bread mix at the grocery store earlier this week, and it also happens that I had a 1/2 can of pumpkin I needed to use. I’ve done a version of these with cake mixes with great success, so this morning I was inspired to try it out with a quick bread mix. The pumpkin takes the place of the eggs and oil that the box mix calls for. I love it when I can successfully convert a recipe into a healthier version that is seriously delicious. Like I said, these were too good not to share! (Share the recipe, I mean. There are no muffins left. 🙂 Here’s my recipe:
Simple, Healthier Pumpkin Muffins
- 1 box pumpkin quick bread mix
- 8 oz. canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup water (or milk)
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 400. Line 12 muffin cups with liners and give each one a squirt of non-stick spray. Stir all ingredients together until well mixed, then scoop into muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on wire rack,
Just before popping them into the oven, I decided to toss on a few chocolate chips for the children and walnuts for my husband and me, but his is totally optional. (I probably only used 2 T. nuts and 2 T. chocolate chips on ours.)Â I’m sure you could add as much as a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or nuts to the batter, but just dropping a few across the muffin tops seemed to give us a little taste of it without adding a whole lot of extra fat and calories. Plus, it just looks pretty!
These were so simple and healthy that I will be glad to add these to our breakfast line-up, even for school days! I think I will try using the canned pumpkin with a cinnamon or blueberry quick bread mix next time. Mmmm, can’t wait!
Enjoy!
I’m glad you’ve had such good post.
I will have to try your recipe. I’ve been seeing some pumpkin pancakes on the ads for a certain restaurant that specializes in pancakes and I want to try those as well.
Most of the time I enjoy the health benefits of pumpkin in soups, especially in beef and chicken soup, where it tastes delicious. Pumpkin really adds body to a soup and you get all that carotene along with the antioxidants present in the spices.
I think adding pumpkin to baked treats is one way to ensure that both adults and children receive the nutrients they need.