Today was one of those perfect days. Beautiful weather, a happy, super sweet almost-3-year-old, and a morning full of moments that made me want to freeze time. From the aggressive movements of the baby inside of me to the sweet smiles and kisses of my not-such-a-baby boy, I melted over and over again. We passed by a huge Christmas tree while we were out running errands and the icing on the cake moment of the day was watching Riley's face light up as a huge smile spread across his face and he covered his mouth with a very small, chubby, toddler hand. It made me not at all sorry that Christmas is all around us already. Even though the holidays seem to have exploded earlier than ever, I'm still holding on to pumpkin season. These super healthy olive oil pumpkin muffins are the perfect way to indulge without any guilt. These tasty treats are full of vitamin-packed pumpkin, heart-healthy olive oil and are sweetened with maple syrup and honey, which are significantly healthier options than white or brown sugar.
Bonus: they are kid-friendly!
This recipe is largely based on the olive oil zucchini muffins Lindsay from Pinch of Yum posted over the summer. (Riley asks for them every time we go to the park. He assumes park time equals zucchini muffin time.) Needless to say, we fell in love with those muffins and I was sure we could create a fall version with pumpkin in place of zucchini. I added a lot of pumpkin spice seasoning plus a little extra cinnamon (I blame being pregnant for that one- I cannot get enough cinnamon), which make these muffins the ideal autumn treat. I can say from personal experience that they are equally delicious with a cup of coffee in the morning as they are with a cup of chamomile tea at night.
If you have been over-indulging in pumpkin spice lattes and baked pumpkin-y things at the local coffee shop and need a sugar break, these olive oil pumpkin muffins are the answer. Heck, you might as well enjoy them with my lighter pumpkin pie latte! Double pumpkin whammy. You're welcome.
Olive Oil Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 12-15 muffins
Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum's Honey & Olive Oil Zucchini Muffins
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice seasoning
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a regular muffin tin with liners and set aside.
Combine the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and honey in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
In another bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice seasoning.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and fold until just combined.
Fill each muffin liner 2/3 of the way full of batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the muffins have puffed up nicely and developed a light golden crust.