October 24, 2012

Pumpkin Oats Muffins with Cranberries and Chia seeds + How to make Homemade Pumpkin Puree


Fall season...my favorite time of the year is here again in all its colorful splendor. It is also the season for tasty treats like pumpkins, cranberries and apples. To celebrate, here is a healthy muffin recipe that is a seasonal fave in my household. It is our quick "breakfast on the go" on busy workdays as well as a great snack. I usually double-up this recipe to make 24 muffins and store them in the fridge. All it takes is about 10 seconds in the microwave before its warm and ready to eat. 



I got this recipe from Aunt Lucy (Long Island,NY) who also gracefully shared the tip that I could either use pumpkin or substitute mashed bananas, carrots, pineapple, applesauce or any other ingredient of my choice. When I first had these muffins at my aunt's place I was so impressed with the rich taste but healthy ingredients. 




Nutrients in Pumpkin

Pumpkin is low in fat and calories and rich in disease-fighting nutrients such as:


  • Alpha-carotene
  • Beta-carotene
  • Fiber
  • Vitamins C and E
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Pantothenic acid


Health Benefits of Pumpkin

  • Keep Eyesight Sharp
  • Aids Weight Loss
  • May Reduce Cancer Risk
  • Protect the Skin
  • Can help after a hard workout by restoring the body's balance of electrolytes
  • Can Boost Your Immune System
*Nutritional information adapted from Huffington Post


Steps to make your own Pumpkin Puree at home
  • Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. 
  • Cut the pumpkin into half 
  • Scoop out the seeds. 
  • Place the pumpkin cut side down on the baking sheet 
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the the pumpkin is completely tender inside
  • Scrape the pumpkin flesh off the skin with a large metal spoon 
  • Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. 
  • Let cool and use as needed.
  • You can freeze it for future use.
**1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree holds about 1 3/4 cups of puree.


Ingredients
1 Cup - Oats
1 Cup - Buttermilk
1 - Egg
1/2 Cup - Oil
½ Cup - Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup - Pumpkin puree (*Refer the steps above to make your own at home)
1 cup - Whole Wheat Flour
½ Tsp Baking Soda
1 ¼ Tsp - Baking Powder.
1/2 Tsp - Salt
1 Tablespoon - Chia seeds
1/2 Tsp - Cinnamon powder
1/2 Tsp - Nutmeg powder
1/2 Cup - Dried Cranberry

Topping
1 Tablespoon - Chia seeds
1/4 Cup - Oats

Directions
  • Preheat the oven at 350F
  • In a bowl mix oats and buttermilk and keep aside.
  • Beat the egg, oil, pumpkin puree and brown sugar until they are blended well
  • Mix in the oats-buttermilk mixture.
  • Add the dry ingredients - Whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, chia seeds and mix on low speed to avoid splashes
  • Add in the cranberries.
  • Beat until all ingredients are mixed in well.
  • Pour into Muffin trays and top each muffin with some chia seeds and oats.
  • Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until the toothpick-test comes out clean when inserted into the muffin.

Notes and Tips
  • You can substitute pumpkin puree with carrot puree, grated carrots, mashed banana, apple sauce, date puree or any ingredient of your choice
  • You can add nuts, raisins or other dried fruits of your choice.
  • For a consistent cupcake size, fill cups 1/2 to 2/3 full. The best way to add the batter is to use an ice cream scoop, a large spoon or a measuring cup.
  • Using muffin liners while baking helps in an easier mess-free clean up.

28 comments :

  1. yummy pumpkin muffins
    great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com

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  2. This is my fav time of the year too, right uptil new year :). The muffins look good, am already thinking of baking it. Thanks for sharing! :)

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  3. Pls advice - is it the indian version of butter milk??? if using grated carrots shld i cook it beforehand??

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  4. I am a person who is never interested in cooking. But these beautiful pictures and the simple recipe is inspiring me to try it out.

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  5. can you believe it, we dont get pumpkin puree in the stores here?? i have to go to these fancu schmancy stores and pay a bomb for it. I like pumpkin in bakes and cakes, but somehow dont like it as a savoury ingredient :O
    you seem to be on a roll with healthy cooking, the bread also looked truly gourmet. I am yet to figure out what chia tastes like!

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  6. What a perfect looking muffins..The first click is superb!

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  7. Thanks a lot for your lovely comments everyone :)

    Anonymous -
    1) You dont have to cook the carrots before you use them.
    2) I would recommend to grate the carrots finely and make sure you don't discard the juices from the grated carrots.
    3) If you dont have buttermilk just mix 3/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup of milk.

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  8. Nisha, I have included steps to make your own Pumpkin Puree at home. Hope that is helpful

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  9. The muffins look so perfect. Pumpkin is here and so is Halloween. A wonderful treat for the kids.

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  10. Wow..healthy and perfect looking muffins and loved the clicks...

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  11. Amazing flavors, pass me a few please ....!

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  12. LOVE this...it captures the heart of Autumn...I can't say that I wouldn't steal half a dozen! =)

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  13. Soft & adorable looking muffins!!! Just want to grab them off the screen!!
    Prathima Rao
    Prats Corner

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  14. Wow That looks absolutely delish!! Yumm! You should have sent one of these pics for the Junglefrog Photography challenge...looks amazing!
    I keep thinking I should do something for the challenge, but getting 0 time...

    Regards,
    Manju
    http://manjuseatingdelights.blogspot.com

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  15. So warm, so delicious looking muffins. The colors, the texture, yum-) Love the chia seeds in them!

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  16. Delicious looking! I really have to buy chia seeds.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  17. wow..that looks delicious indeed!! Tempting clicks too :)

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  18. What scrumptious looking muffins they are, Shema! Love that your post was very informative too! Thanks for this lovely recipe!

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  19. those oats and chia seed on he top look soo pretty! these are perfect muffins for right now:)
    now in november i can finally post some cookies and link up to your party :)

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  20. that was awesome!great halloween treat...frst time here...happy to follow u...glad tat u do the same!

    http://subhieskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/

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  21. I love the colour of the muffins and the addition of oats! Lovely Halloween treat!

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  22. can u make these recipe in a cake an instead of cup cakes?

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  23. Rhea - Yes,you can make this as a cake or a loaf - Just adjust the baking time!

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  24. Thanks for the recipe! I tried these last night and they were easy enough to make.

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First of all thanks a lot for stopping by my space. I would be very happy to hear from you and would love to see your comments and feedback :)
Thanks a bunch,
Shema

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