Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

I know there are a few more weeks of warm weather and summer produce ahead but I’m one of those crazy pumpkin people and I’m totally okay with starting the pumpkin fun a little early.

I love just about anything with pumpkin in it. From edibles delights like pie, soup, muffins, oatmeal and beer to inedible things like candles and lotions. Pumpkin is such a versatile, healthy ingredient to cook with and I love the spices that are normally paired with it — especially pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and curry.

The pumpkin cornbread muffins I’m sharing today are inspired by my childhood. I grew up eating sweet cornbread, usually straight from the Jiffy box, paired with a pot of slow cooked beans and fried potatoes, a hearty bowl of chili or goulash. Nothing against that cornbread but this version is much better for you (sorry mom!). It’s dairy-free and egg-free, made with whole grains and refined sugar free. It still has that sweetness I like in cornbread, but it’s not overly sweet.

I used the new honey flavored Almond Breeze for this recipe for an extra hint of sweetness but you could use the regular unsweetened if you’d like to keep the recipe vegan.

Speaking of the new honey flavored almond milk, it’s really good! I’m also a big fan of the new honey flavored Blue Diamond Nut Thins — the honey mustard flavor reminds me of a healthier version of those honey mustard pretzel bites.

Isaac and I gobbled up these muffins rather quickly — one night we paired them with a bowl of soup and the rest were eaten for breakfast or as a snack. I’m particularly fond of cutting them in half, warming them up in the toaster oven for a few minutes and spreading each half with a thin layer of nut butter — so good!

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size	1 muffin
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 199 Calories from fat
% Daily Value
Total Fat 5g	8%
Carbohydrate 35g	12%
Dietary Fiber 4g	16%
Sugars 10g
Protein 3g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g

Serves 1 muffin     adjust servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or freshly cooked and processed)
• 1 cup Almond Breeze almond milk (honey or unsweetened)
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, liquid
• 1 Tablespoon molasses

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Prepare a regular sized 12-cup muffin tin by greasing or lining 8 cups.
3. In a medium sized bowl, make your flaxseed eggs by combining the flaxseed with water, giving it a good stir and allowing it to sit for a few minutes to thicken up.
4. In large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg.
5. Add the remaining ingredients (pumpkin, almond milk, coconut sugar, coconut oil and molasses) into the bowl with the flaxseed eggs and stir well to combine.
6. Gently add the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Do no over mix.
7. Evenly divide the cornbread mixture into 8 cups. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden in color and a toothpick comes out clean.

by Brittany Mullins

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size	1 muffin
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 199 Calories from fat
% Daily Value
Total Fat 5g	8%
Carbohydrate 35g	12%
Dietary Fiber 4g	16%
Sugars 10g
Protein 3g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g