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I’ve never met a pumpkin-flavoured anything I didn’t like. Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Smoothies – you name it, I’d probably stuff my face then ask for seconds. So when I found myself with an entire can of pumpkin puree leftover from another (non-pumpkin) recipe, I couldn’t not make something with it.
I decided to make a loaf, only to remember about 30 seconds later we had meatloaf for dinner and the pan wasn’t clean. Muffins it was – and this recipe was born.
om nom nom!
I ate them for breakfast (uh, and a morning snack and some evening snacks – hey, the recipe made a lot, okay? ;) for about a week, and no, I never got sick of them. They’re sweet, thanks to the chocolate, but not too sweet, which (in my opinion) is perfect when it comes to pumpkin.
The best part? Each one is only 105 calories and 1.7 grams of fat :)
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Gluten-Free!)
Makes 18 muffins | Preheat to 350°, bake at 325° for 20 minutes
- 1.5 cups pumpkin puree
- 1/2 scant cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 egg
- 3 egg whites
- 1 2/3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
- 3/4 heaping tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup agave
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/2 cup organic dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350°. If you’re using metal muffin tins, grease them and set aside for now. I would avoid using paper liners for these – see my note below!
While the oven is heating up, crack one egg into a bowl. Carefully crack and add the egg whites from three more eggs into the bowl, and beat them. Once ready, add the pumpkin puree, apple sauce, and agave into the bowl, mixing well. Set this bowl aside for a few minutes.
Next, combine most the dry ingredients – the xanthan gum, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice into a bowl, and mix well. Once mixed, add in the flour and blend.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix well. Once mixed, add the chocolate chips in and stir until combined.
**Note: I usually don’t use liners when making healthier recipes, as the lack of oil makes them stick. I was out of spray, so I decided to use them anyway – HUGE mistake. They worked okay immediately after, but the next day they were super stuck onto the liners: total bummer. I’d recommend using silicon liners for this recipe – I really need to invest in a set!
Spoon the batter into the muffin tray, filling each about 3/4 of the way. Reduce the heat to 325°, and pop them into the oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
This recipe would also work great for a loaf – just increase the baking time accordingly (I’d suggest starting with 40 minutes, and increasing from there as necessary).
