I want to talk about fall today. I don’t care if I’m branded as basic for saying this: I LOVE FALL. I love EVERY PART OF IT. I love brisk, crisp days made cozy by thick sweaters and warm-but-still-fashionable boots. I love candles with vague names like “Autumn” and “Leaves” and “Hayride.” I love going for walks and stepping on crunchy leaves. I love cider mill donuts and whiskey ciders sipped by crackling campfires. And I also love pumpkin. Unabashedly. Wholeheartedly. Truly, madly, deeply, all of that. I love it.
I stockpile shameful numbers of pumpkin puree cans in my cupboard for recipes just like this one. Part of the fun of cracking open a new can of pumpkin, for me, is trying to figure out what to do with the rest. Has anyone who was not actually making a pumpkin pie ever actually used a full can of pumpkin all at the same time? Asking for a friend.
This recipe came about when I was trying to figure out what to do with the rest. (I also have even more finishing-up-a-can-of-pumpkin recipes coming your way in just a few short weeks, so get ready for those.) I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been feeling extraordinarily lazy in the mornings lately. Sometimes so lazy, in fact, that I can’t even be bothered to make a bowl of oatmeal. I usually just end up eating a granola bar. The glamorous life of an aspiring food blogger, I know.
But these muffins just seemed way more fun. You can make them later in the day when you’re not feeling so gray and uninspired, and then you can chuck ’em in the freezer and pop ’em in the toaster oven whenever even 1-minute oats just feel like way too much work. They’re made healthier with whole-wheat flour, plus they’re naturally sweetened. IMO they’re the perfect level of sweetness for breakfast, but you can add a couple extra sweet thangs if you’re feeling it. I hope you enjoy these with your morning coffee while looking out at a pretty tree. You deserve that sort of fall joy. What are your favorite fall things?
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup milk (any kind)
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- optional: 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- Pinch ground cloves
Instructions
- Line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners. Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin and eggs. Add the other wet ingredients and whisk thoroughly.
- Add dry ingredients and fold together with a big spoon until just combined.
- Fill muffin cups to the top. Bake 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
