pumpkin

Name: Whole Grain Pumpkin Scones
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 cups soft whole wheat flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 1/4 tsp Salt; 4 tbsp cold butter; 1/4 cup honey; 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice; 1/4 cup Greek yogurt; 1/4 cup pumpkin puree; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar; 1/2 tsp Cinnamon; 1 tbsp milk; 1/2 tbsp pumpkin puree

by Courtney Leave a Comment

What to do with old pumpkins

Pumpkins are a classic outdoor and indoor decor item for the fall. From carving and filling with light to using smaller pie pumpkins for centerpieces and mantel toppers, pumpkins are in abundance during the fall. So, what are you to do with pumpkins once their decorating purpose is done? Here are some creative and useful ways to get rid of pumpkins in the fall that keeps them out of landfills.

Fun ways to dispose of pumpkins

If you just need to get those carved pumpkins off of your porch, but you don’t want to contribute to the local landfill, then try these fun ways of “throwing out” an old Jack-O-Lantern.

This post may contain affiliate links, which simply means I may earn a commission off of links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site!

Feed the compost: Instead of tossing that pumpkin in the trashcan, consider adding your pumpkin shell to your own compost pile. No compost pile? No problem! Learn how to start composting here or even how to direct compost, no pile needed! Composting pumpkins helps put nutrients back into your soil and may even get you some pumpkin plants for next year! No desire to compost? Ask a neighbor who has a compost pile if you can contribute!
Feed the animals: Have pumpkins that aren’t rotting on the stoop? Consider feeding them to local goats or chickens. Many backyard “farm” animals would love a pumpkin treat. If you don’t have a backyard flock or animals, check with local friends who do. They may be happy to take your unused vegetables!
Toss it out: I’m not encouraging littering, per se, but if you have land or know of a patch of woods, then remove any candles, wax, and/or seeds from your pumpkins and toss the shells. The shell and flesh will break down, benefiting your land or that patch of woods you toss it in.
Pumpkin Smashing: I mention this because I have three kids, two of which are boys, so they love to smash just about anything. If you’re planning on kicking your pumpkins to the compost or the woods, why not scoop out the seeds (for roasting of course), then let the kiddos have fun with a pumpkin piñata. Hang it or leave it on the ground, they’ll just enjoy smashing it up, and it will actually break down better in the compost if it’s in pieces. Your kids will thank you for the chance to break something on purpose!

Direct Compost — Our direct compost below one of our raised beds

How to use old pumpkins

Not quite ready to toss out your old decorative or porch pumpkins yet? Here are some fun and creative ways to use those pumpkins to feed your family and to simply enjoy!

Homemade Pumpkin Puree: This easy Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree recipe only takes a few minutes and gives you fresh puree for all of those fall baked goods! (Don’t miss these Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins!) You can use any type of pumpkin, but the small sugar pumpkins do work best for flavor.
Easy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Before you make your pumpkin into puree, scoop out those seeds and roast them. This easy roasted pumpkin seed recipe just takes a few minutes of prep work, and then you’ll have a snack that’s healthy, delicious, and homemade!
Pumpkin planter: Want to ramp up your decor for Thanksgiving or the holidays? Repurpose your pumpkin into a fun planter! Stephanie over at Garden Therapy has a wonderful tutorial for creating a pumpkin planter and tips for how to make it last.
Seed Saving: If you liked the pumpkins you had for decor this year, then try saving some of the seeds to plant next year. Simply scoop out some of the seeds, then let them dry on a paper towel. Place dried seeds in a cool, dry place until ready to plant next spring or summer. If you decide to compost your pumpkin with the seeds inside, then chances are, your compost pile may spring up with a new plant on its own!

Fall Garden Helps

Get help planning, planting, and harvesting your fall vegetable garden!

Easy Fall Garden Planning

Before you put seeds or plants in the ground, know what grows well in your area, what you actually like to eat, and what grows best in fall. Plan your fall garden for success!

8 Tips for Planting Bulbs in the Fall

Fall is the perfect time for planting many spring bulbs, so put your best flower forward with these tips for planting flower bulbs this fall.

How to Grow Garlic

Fall is the season for planting garlic, and this super easy allium can be set in the ground and then minimally tended. Find out how to grow garlic from clove to harvest!

by Courtney 2 Comments

Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Glaze

Pumpkin scones with cinnamon glaze… what else could announce that fall baking season is officially here? When the temperatures drop, I’m much more inclined to heat up the oven and roll out the dough. And who doesn’t love the smell of freshly baked anything wafting through the house? Especially if it’s pumpkin! And these pumpkin scones with a sweet cinnamon glaze are crumbly and tender, just like a scone should be, but with the added health bonus of being whole grain!

Fall Baking Season

Fall baking season is here, and I am experiencing a little hiccup this year with our 20 year old wall oven deciding to go on the fritz. I have to heat it to 500 in order to bake at 350, and it seems it’s too expensive to fix, so now we’re in the market. On a side note, have you ever priced a wall oven?! Aye, caramba! I could buy a pretty sweet range for the price of one wall oven. I digress.

Whole Grain Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Glaze

Like many of my other recipes here at The Kitchen Garten, this scone recipe calls for whole wheat flour. I specifically use soft whole wheat flour (also known as whole wheat pastry flour), and you can read more about that in my whole grains post. Basically, I mill my own whole grain flour, which sounds much more difficult than it really is. There are these wonderful electric mills (I have a Wonder Mill) that take all of the work out of milling wheat (or any other grain). If you don’t have access to freshly milled flour, then use what you can get your hands on at the grocery store, no worries!

Scones are known to be tender and slightly crumbly, and their subtle sweetness isn’t overpowering like a cookie or cake. In fact, making scones reminds me a lot of how my Granny made her biscuits. A course butter/flour mixture is the base, and other ingredients are added in after. These particular scones, much like my Lemon Glazed Scones, are kept moist with Greek yogurt and lightly sweetened with honey. Now, onto the ingredients!

Pumpkin scone ingredients

Whole Wheat Flour

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Honey

Salt (I use mineral salt)

Greek Yogurt

Vanilla Extract (Make your own!)

Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Butter, cold

Powdered sugar

Cinnamon

Milk

How to Make Whole Grain Scones

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Begin by combining flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in bowl. Whisk to combine. Add cold butter, cut into chunks, and use your hands to create a crumbly flour mix.
In a smaller bowl, combine yogurt, honey, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Add yogurt mixture to flour mix and stir to combine. Then use hands to fold over dough until all the flour is incorporated.
For larger scones, place dough on baking sheet and spread into a large circle using your hands. For smaller scones, divide dough in half and make two smaller circles. Use a butter knife or dough scraper to cut scones circles into 8 pieces.
Bake scones for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. While the pumpkin scones are baking, prepare the cinnamon glaze. Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 tbsp pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and milk in a bowl. Stir with a whisk until a smooth consistency forms. Set aside.
Place scones on cooling rack with a sheet of wax paper beneath. Once the pumpkin scones have cooled slightly, use a spoon to drizzle on the cinnamon glaze. Serve immediately and enjoy!

These delicious scones were a hit with the kids (and the four friends they had over at the time!). They’d be a delicious breakfast or tea time snack, and of course, they’re perfect for the fall and winter. I’d love to know if you have given them a try or what your favorite flavor is for scones. Have a great week!

Other fall recipes

Yield: 8

Whole Grain Pumpkin Scones

Delicate whole grain pumpkin scones drizzled in cinnamon glaze are a tasty breakfast or tea time snack! And since they're whole grain, eat these knowing you're making a healthy choice!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Pumpkin Scones

2 cups soft whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
4 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Glaze

3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tbsp pumpkin puree

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Begin by combining flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in bowl. Whisk to combine. Add cold butter, cut into chunks, and use your hands to create a crumbly flour mix.
In a smaller bowl, combine yogurt, honey, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Add yogurt mixture to flour mix and stir to combine. Then use hands to fold over dough until all the flour is incorporated.
For larger scones, place dough on baking sheet and spread into a large circle using your hands. For smaller scones, divide dough in half and make two smaller circles. Use a butter knife or dough scraper to cut scones circles into 8 pieces.
Bake scones for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. While the pumpkin scones are baking, prepare the cinnamon glaze. Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 tbsp pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and milk in a bowl. Stir with a whisk until a smooth consistency forms. Set aside.
Place scones on cooling rack with a sheet of wax paper beneath. Once the pumpkin scones have cooled slightly, use a spoon to drizzle on the cinnamon glaze. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 263mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 5g

by Courtney Leave a Comment

Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree

Canned pumpkin, it’s a staple of the fall season. I used to make a mad dash to Aldi when they finally released it for the season. We’d make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins like our lives depended on them. Not to mention pumpkin cookies, at-home pumpkin spice lattes, and anything else that gives us a reason to use pumpkin.

But did you know that your pumpkin doesn’t have to be canned?? Amazing. Homemade pumpkin puree is really just minutes away!

Using Fresh Pumpkin

I’ll admit that up until a few years ago, I wouldn’t have thought about using fresh pumpkin in recipes. The can is super easy to open and scoop out. Boom. Done. But as I have started using more garden fresh ingredients, I knew I needed to try to lose the dependence on canned pumpkin.

Pumpkins had been mostly a decor item at my house. One propped on the porch next to mums. A few sitting in the centerpiece on the dining table. I had been “using” them but not really.

As one would guess, using fresh pumpkin has fabulous benefits. Here are some important things about using fresh pumpkin:

The taste: Fresh pumpkin trumps canned with the brightness of flavor. It’s delicious!
The seeds: As a bonus, you can easily roast the seeds and have an afternoon treat of savory or sweet roasted pumpkin seeds (nutrient powerhouses)! Or save the seeds to plant next year.
Knowledge: You know exactly what went into your pumpkin puree and what the original pumpkin looked like.
Serving Bowl: This may sound strange, but the shell of the pumpkin comes out of the IP stiff and could be washed out and used to serve a fun pumpkin dip or treat.

The time-saving Instant Pot

The Instant Pot has totally changed cooking for me. (See my full review of the Instant Pot!) Dried beans are ready in less than an hour. Chicken cooks in less than 30 minutes. And veggies can be steamed in a snap. Planner and procrastinators can both get a lot out of an Instant Pot.

If you or someone else is on the fence about getting one, check out my IP review. The instant pot takes the work out of making homemade pumpkin puree. There’s no cubing up the pumpkin and steaming it in a pot or pan. It’s as simple as cutting the pumpkin in half and cleaning it out. Here’s what to do:

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

Grab your pie pumpkin and a sharp knife. Cut your pumpkin in half lengthwise. I used a santuko knife and worked my blade in. Once you get past the outer skin, it’s not very difficult to cut.
Use a spoon to clean out the seeds and strings from the inside of the pumpkin. Place the seeds in a bowl to use later. Then place the wire rack that came with your Instant Pot into the bottom of the pot.
Add one cup of water to the bottom of your pot. Then place your pumpkin halves inside your pot, cut sides facing each other. (The direction they’re facing isn’t set in stone, but I know I like clear instructions.)
Secure lid on Instant Pot. Press Steam button and adjust time for 8-10 minutes. If your pumpkin is on the smaller side, go with 8. If larger, go with 10. An extra minute of steaming will not mess up your puree. Once time is up and pressure has released, take pumpkin halves out and let cool 5-10 minutes.
Scoop out pumpkin and either mash by hand with a fork or place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You’ll have fresh puree to use in your fall baking!

I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to use fresh pumpkin in my cooking. I’d love to know what your favorite pumpkin recipe is! Leave a comment below, because I’m always looking for new recipes to try. Have a great week!

Other Pumpkin Recipes:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Family Favorite!)
Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies (so fun!)
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice (so easy!)

Yield: 2-3 cups

Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree

Skip the canned pumpkin puree and make your own pumpkin puree with just two ingredients and an Instant pot.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 Pie Pumpkin
1 cup water

Instructions

Grab your pie pumpkin and a sharp knife. Cut your pumpkin in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to clean out the seeds and strings from the inside of the pumpkin. Place the seeds in a bowl to use later. Then place the wire rack that came with your Instant Pot into the bottom of the pot.
Add one cup of water to the bottom of your pot. Then place your pumpkin halves inside your pot, cut sides facing each other.
Secure lid on Instant Pot. Press Steam button and adjust time for 8-10 minutes. If your pumpkin is on the smaller side, go with 8. If larger, go with 10. An extra minute of steaming will not mess up your puree. Once time is up and pressure has released, take pumpkin halves out and let cool 5-10 minutes.
Scoop out pumpkin and either mash by hand with a fork or place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies

Pumpkin Spice. It takes on a life of its own as soon as the first fall leaf drops. And I’m pretty sure I’ve been in line at an over-priced coffee chain waiting for my steaming hot cup of fall. I’m not sure what it is about the cinnamon goodness that creates such a stir, but I’m a fan. And this pumpkin spice oatmeal cream pie recipe is the perfect way to celebrate the coming of fall!

Fall is by far my favorite season, even as an avid gardener (check out our fall garden). Here in the south, gardening is still alive and well in the fall. I can comfortably garden without being soaked in sweat or having to wake up at the crack of dawn to avoid the heat. In fact, I’ve planted my first pumpkin patch this year, and it is growing beautifully. The first blossoms appeared this week, and I am so pumped for picking pumpkins! (And do you know how easy it is to make your own homemade Pumpkin Puree in just 3 minutes? Yes!)

Pumpkin spice meme — Source: http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1029936-pumpkin-spice-latte

Oatmeal Cream Pie

Even though fall is technically not here for another two weeks, I wanted to get a small taste. And it just so happened some friends of ours recently had a sweet baby boy, and I thought this would be the perfect treat to go alongside the lasagna dinner we were taking over. My friend is a big fan of seasonal flavors, so I hoped this would be a hit. And it was!

Two freshly baked pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies with hints of pumpkin and fall spices held together by creamy buttercream frosting. It’s like eating fall, and I’m in love. And the oatmeal basically makes these pumpkin spice oatmeal cream pies healthy, right? Whole grains are always a good idea. The classic Little Debbie, cute though she may be, doesn’t compare to oatmeal cream pies made at home. You can control the amount of spice and frosting between the cookies. So slather it on there if you want, or go thin and smooth if you don’t want to be overwhelmed by frosting. Not to mention, when you make these at home, you avoid the long list of ingredients I have difficulty pronouncing. But I digress…

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups soft white wheat flour (or all purpose)

3/4 cup oats

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg and cloves

Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup half and half or cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pie Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together for one minute on medium speed. Add in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing after each addition.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk together. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix just until combined.
On a cookie sheet, scoop out tablespoon size dough portions and bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cookies cool on pan for 2-3 minutes. Then move to cooling rack.
While cookies are baking and cooling, make your buttercream frosting. Cream butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually add in sugar and cream, alternating. Finally, add in vanilla and mix until incorporated. For easy frosting application, place a large star tip on a decorating bag and fold over the edge of a glass. Fill your frosting bag up, and you’re ready to go!
Once cookies are cooled, use your frosting bag and gently squeeze a good amount of frosting over the surface of the cookie.
Place another cookie on top and voila! You’re done! Feel free to skip the bag and tip step and simply spread your frosting thickly on the cookie. But I find the bag and tip to make applying the frosting easier.

And there you have it! A taste of fall perfect for dessert with a hot cup of coffee or as a quick sweet snack for little hands. Hopefully as our pumpkins grow in the garden, we’ll have a good supply of fresh pumpkin to use in these creamy spiced treats. I hope you’re enjoying cooler temperatures with fall on its way.

I’d love to know what your favorite pumpkin recipe is! I’m always looking for new ways to use it in the kitchen. Have a great week, and happy gardening!

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies are the perfect fall dessert. Whole Grain spiced oatmeal cookies with creamy buttercream in the middle is a winner every time!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cup soft white wheat flour or all purpose
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg and cloves
1 cup butter, unsalted
3-4 cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup half and half or cream
1 tsp Vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together for one minute on medium speed. Add in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing after each addition.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk together. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix just until combined.
On a cookie sheet, scoop out tablespoon size dough portions and bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cookies cool on pan for 2-3 minutes. Then move to cooling rack.
While cookies are baking and cooling, make your buttercream frosting. Cream butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually add in sugar and cream, alternating. Finally, add in vanilla and mix until incorporated. For easy frosting application, place a large star tip on a decorating bag and fold over the edge of a glass. Fill your frosting bag up, and you're ready to go!
Once cookies are cooled, use your frosting bag and gently squeeze a good amount of frosting over the surface of the cookie.
Place another cookie on top and voila! You're done! Feel free to skip the bag and tip step and simply spread your frosting thickly on the cookie, but I find the bag and tip to make applying the frosting easier.

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies – Two pumpkin spiced oatmeal cookies held together with sweet vanilla buttercream frosting. – butter, unsalted, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pureed pumpkin, egg, Vanilla, soft white wheat flour (or all purpose), oatmeal, baking powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, Frosting: butter, unsalted, Powdered Sugar, half and half (or cream), Vanilla, , Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together for one minute on medium speed. Add in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing after each addition. ; In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk together. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix just until combined. ; On a cookie sheet, scoop out tablespoon size dough portions and bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cookies cool on pan for 2-3 minutes. Then move to cooling rack. ; While cookies are baking and cooling, make your buttercream frosting. Cream butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually add in sugar and cream, alternating. Finally, add in vanilla and mix until incorporated. For easy frosting application, place a large star tip on a decorating bag and fold over the edge of a glass. Fill your frosting bag up, and you're ready to go!; Once cookies are cooled, use your frosting bag and gently squeeze a good amount of frosting over the surface of the cookie. ; Place another cookie on top and voila! You're done! Feel free to skip the bag and tip step and simply spread your frosting thickly on the cookie, but I find the bag and tip to make applying the frosting easier. ; ; – – Dessert – Dessert – Kid-Friendly – Recipes – cookie – fall – pumpkin[/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

by Courtney 2 Comments

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Oh, the beauty of whole grain pumpkin chocolate chip muffins! When you hear “whole grain” do you immediately imagine chewing a dry and crusty piece of cardboard? It’s totally fine if you do, but despite sounding like a late-night infomercial… you don’t have to endure that any longer!!!

When done right, whole wheat, and any whole grains for that matter, are absolutely delicious. Even my Wonder Bread-loving husband can attest to that. These healthy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are sure to please the pickiest eater.

Love those whole grains!

If you’ve stopped by the blog before, you may have noticed I love, love, love whole grains. I mean, if I’m going to eat fresh pear cake or peach cobbler, I want all the fiber that goes with whole grains, so I can feel better about that fat slice for dessert. (Find my recipes for Fresh Pear Cake and Cast Iron Peach Cobbler!)

Our family started eating whole grains twelve years ago, when a friend did a mini bread workshop at her house. She went through the merits of not only eating whole grains, but also of milling those grains at home. Say what?? True story. We have a grain mill bought second-hand, and it has withstood massive amounts of grain milling since we’ve owned it.

I won’t go into all the details in this post, but freshly ground whole grains are more nutrient dense. (And they taste phenomenal, not heavy and bland like store-bought whole wheat items.) Flour begins to break down nutritionally within 24-48 hours after milling. (The Pleasant Hill Grain shop is a great place to look for grain mills.

I’m not sure how long the bag of whole wheat flour has been sitting at the grocery store, but I know it wasn’t milled 24 hours ago. Most of the education I’ve received about whole grains has come from the awesome folks at The Bread Beckers. I’ve heard them speak on several occasions, and I recently bought Sue Becker’s new Home Ground Flour book, and it totally rocks. Whole wheat pepperoni pizza roll anyone? My kids love it. I digress.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These healthy chocolate chip pumpkin muffins are an adaptation from a recipe I found eons ago on Moneysavingmom.com. We weren’t using whole grains at the time, but after we made the switch, I tried to convert as many recipes as I could. I obviously wanted to adapt it to be 100% whole wheat, as well as use less sugar and oil. The original recipe called for a whole cup of oil, yikes!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs
1 cup Sugar
1 16 oz can pureed pumpkin (or make your own in the Instant Pot!)
1/2 cup Oil (we use unrefined coconut oil)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (or make your own homemade applesauce in the Instant Pot!)
3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (also called soft white wheat)
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp baking powder aluminum-free
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (or use my homemade pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg.)
1 tsp Salt
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pumpkin Chocolate Muffin Recipe

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine eggs (beaten), sugar, pumpkin, oil, and applesauce in large bowl and stir until smooth.

2. Add dry ingredients and mix until there are no flour “pockets” left. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Spoon batter into greased or lined muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool for several minutes in pan, then finish cooling on a rack.

4. Store in airtight container and/or freeze to enjoy at a later time.

Pumpkin muffin substitutions

Substitute sweet potato for the pumpkin.
Leave out the chocolate chips for a less sweet (and perhaps more healthy) muffin.
Swap out the sugar for coconut sugar to lower the glycemic impact and use Lily’s stevia-sweetened chocolate chips for even less sugar.
Use all-purpose flour if you don’t have whole wheat.

Over the years, this recipe has become one of our favorites, even after all things pumpkin and fall have faded. You can even substitute sweet potato for the pumpkin when needed, and they’re delicious! So welcome in the fall season this year with these tasty and healthy muffins!

If you can’t eat them all in a few days, put the extra in the freezer and pull them out as needed. 30 seconds in the microwave gets them warm and steamy. The perfect accompaniment to a fresh cup of coffee. Enjoy!

Yield: 24 muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These whole grain pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are easy to make and a nutritional powerhouse. They're also kid-friendly and a delicious fall treat!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 cup Sugar
1 16 oz can pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup Oil (we use coconut)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp baking powder aluminum-free
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Salt
1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips