Healthy Spiced Pecan Pumpkin Muffins

If there was ever a healthy baked good to represent Autumn these pumpkin muffins would be a hot contender. They’re rustic and homely, are made with warming spices, and hero seasonal pumpkin – the quintessential root veggie of fall!

Like all recipes on Nourish and Tempt, they’re nutritionally considered too. Almond flour bumps the protein content, and swapping butter for olive oil boosts the heart-healthy fats. They’re also not overtly sweet – they require just half a cup of pure maple syrup for the whole batch, with fall spices and pumpkins natural sweetness making up the rest🤙.

Unlike others abroad, it’s not all that common to bake sweet treats with pumpkin in New Zealand. Bananas? Yes. Carrot (cake)? Absolutely. So, if this is your first time using pumpkin this way, I hope these muffins squash (geddit?) any further apprehension.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Homemade or canned pumpkin purée. For homemade pumpkin purée, simply blend boiled and skinless pumpkin until silky smooth. If opting for canned pumpkin (common in the USA), make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling. We’re after pure pumpkin here, without added flavours.
• Plain flour. Go for regular or gluten-free. I use gluten-free and love it!
• Almond flour aka ground almonds. Ideally look for a blend made from blanched peeled almonds as it has a finer crumb and texture compared to unpeeled.
• Olive oil replaces butter which make these dairy-free and brings a good source of heart-healthy fats into the mix. Go for a mild olive oil as otherwise the flavour can be strong. It’ll state this on the bottle.
• Warming spices. I use a mix of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. You could sub in a pumpkin pie spice mix in equal quantities.
• Pure maple syrup to sweeten and for that delicious fall flavour.
• Eggs provide structure and stability. I use size 7 eggs, around 62g each.
• Baking powder. Our leavening agent to make these rise!
• Salt to oomph the flavours.

After a sweeter muffin? Try tossing through a handful of sultanas or dark chocolate chips!

Kitchen Tips

Here are tips to help your kitchen flow:

• Measure flour accurately. Packing flour into a cup (like by pressing it up against the inside of a bag or container) is a one way ticket to a heavy muffin. Boo! Instead, spoon flour into a measuring cup and level off with a knife.
• Use puréed, not mashed, pumpkin. By weight, 1 cup of pureed pumpkin will be heavier and denser than 1 cup of mashed.
• Don’t over mix the batter, I repeat. For light and tender muffins, gently fold wet and dry ingredients together with a spatula until just combined.
• Use an ice cream scoop with a trigger to load batter into muffin cups. It’s so efficient and way less messy then using a spoon. Your baking life will never be the same!
• Use non-stick liners, silicone muffin cases or grease your tin well to prevent these sticking. I find a quick brush of the pan with olive oil does the trick!

Storage and Serving Suggestions

These make for one delicious breakfast slathered in almond butter or a sweet snack paired with a mug of tea.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge (the will last longer in the fridge!). I like to keep a paper towel in the container to absorb moisture, keeping them fresh for longer.

Thanks for reading! If you give this recipe a go, I hope you love it😊 Are you after more recipes with pumpkin? Try this vegan-friendly cream of pumpkin soup!