Pumpkin Muffins

I know I haven’t written in awhile, but I will make it up to you with these amazing pumpkin muffins that only taste decadent. These muffins are under 150 calories each and are just sweet enough to satisfy that craving, while not being too sweet to have with breakfast. These muffins taste and smell every bit like fall and offer a comfort-food feel with an extra-comforting fact: they are unlikely to give you a muffin top of your own! Whole wheat flour, honey, 0% fat plain Greek yogurt and pumpkin puree slim down these muffins so you can fuel up and feel good about it!

Ingredients: (yields 24 muffins)

2 C whole wheat flour

1 C all purpose flour

1.5 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2.5 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

2/3 C 0% fat plain Greek yogurt (I like Fage, it gives the pumpkin batter a fluffy texture)

2 large eggs

1 large egg white (*note: the 3 eggs total can come from 3 eggs using 2 eggs and 1 egg white or from 2 eggs and the equivalent of one egg white from a carton of egg whites)

2 C canned pumpkin puree  (or bake your own!)

1 2/3 C honey (*note: this amount is used to make the batter lightly sweet. If you prefer your muffins to be sweeter, you may want to use 1 3/4 C honey. Just note that this will increase the calorie and sugar content of these muffins)

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Add all dry ingredients ( cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda) to a large bowl. Stir with spoon until well combined.

3. Combine pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt and honey in separate, large bowl.

4. Crack 2 eggs into separate, small bowl. Use remaining egg to separate egg white (or, if you’re using a carton of egg whites, pour the equivalent of 1 large egg). Scramble with fork until yolk and white are well combined.

5. Add eggs to wet ingredient mixture (large bowl). Beat approximately 30-45 seconds, until well combined and fluffy.

6. Add half of the dry ingredients into wet mixture and stir. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until batter is well combined. The batter should appear mousse-like.

7. Line muffin tin with muffin/cupcake liners and fill each liner with batter, using a spoon. In order to get a big muffin top, the batter should come close to completely filling the liner.

8. Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 25-30 minutes. (*note: oven cooking temperatures and times may vary. Make sure that your muffins are cooked by placing a toothpick in each muffin once baked and making sure that the toothpick comes out clean.)

9. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!

The Goods: What’s Inside? (nutritional analysis is for one muffin)

Calories 147, Fat 1 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 16 mg, Sodium 195 mg, Carbohydrates 33 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein  3 g, Calcium 27 mg