Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Healthy Muffins are Sweet and Tasty
Everyone loves treats at Halloween and yet not everyone can have lots of sugary treats. I have reworked a pumpkin cake recipe and turned it into some healthy pumpkin muffins that are sure to please!
This recipe has a topping of sugar substitute and cinnamon that gives it that extra sweet touch. I found these muffins to be especially moist with just the right amount of sweetness.
Enjoy and Have a Happy Halloween!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Muffins - here are brands I used
Before I start my baking project I gather all the needed ingredients. Here you can see the brands that I used. The exact amounts I used are listed in the recipe below.
This is a recipe for muffins that I made using a pumpkin cake recipe and altering a few items to make it healthier! I have added all calories for the ingredients and I calculate that each muffin would be 122 calories.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin (about 2 cups)
- 3/4 cup cholesterol-free egg substitute
- cinnamon and sugar substitute to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray (Pam). Combine flours, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder,and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- 2. Beat sugar blend, oil and applesauce in a large bowl for 1 minutes with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in pumpkin and egg substitute until well blended.
- 3. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating until just blended. Do not overmix.
- 4. Spoon batter into pans for 24 muffins. Sprinkle mixture of sugar substitute and cinnamon (I used 2 teaspoons splenda and 1 teaspoon cinnamon) over the tops of the unbaked muffins.
- 5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.
Muffin Recipes - lots of recipes to sample
I love baking muffins and I'm always looking for new ideas.
Pumpkin Bars - healthy bars
I came across these pumpkin bars on the diabetic living online site and decided to make them. They are really great tasting and easy to make. I always alter a recipe a bit, so I'm including it exactly as I made it. The recipe called for it to take 12-15 minutes but mine (made in stoneware pan) took about 18 minutes.
When you cut this recipe in 25 bars, each bar has 90 calories and 11 grams of carbs.
I didn't have pumpkin pie spice on hand so I used this substitution 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger and a couple of shakes of allspice and nutmeg.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tub style vegetable oil spread
- softened
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see substitution above)
- 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/4 cup refrigerated egg product ( or you could use 1 egg)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- softened
- 1 cup light whipped dessert topping.
- Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
- 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
- 2. In large bowl combine vegetable spread, brown sugar, baking soda, and spices. Beat with electric mixer until well mixed and then add egg and pumpkin and mix until well blended. Gradually add flour until it is completely mixed.
- 3. Spread mixture in prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick stuck in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and continue cooling on wire rack.
- 4. When bars are cool mix cream cheese and half of the whipped topping together until smooth. Fold in the remaining topping and spread over the cooled pumpkin layer. If desired sprinkle with nutmeg. Cut into 25 bars.
Sugar Free Candy for Halloween
Peanut Butter cups are always good for Halloween and these sugar free ones are great for those watching their sugar intake.