When you say fall, I say …pumpkin. Yes, pumpkin is one of the iconic symbols of fall and was the first thing that popped into my head when I read this month’s Recipe Redux theme, “Orange you glad it’s fall”. The challenge is to cook up something with carotenoid antioxidants (the pigments responsible for the bright orange color of some of my favorite fall vegetables). These substances are your body’s defense against free radicals. Now is the perfect time to cook seasonal orange vegetables to boost your immune system and fight back against aging! Please use my recipe and the links below this post to help you get started!
Although I was quick to choose pumpkin as my carotenoid containing ingredient, I had a hard time narrowing it down to just one recipe! Pumpkin is good in everything from soup to smoothies. So how did I come to a decision? Well, I approached this month’s Recipe Redux a little differently than I usually do. I am modifying an existing recipe from The Frog Commissary Cookbook to show how you can replace one-half of the fat in a baked good with pumpkin (or any pureed fruit or vegetable for that matter), and reduce calories and fat. Use of pumpkin gives the added bonus of adding carotenoids! With the holiday baking season getting closer, you’ll want to remember this tip to help avoid holiday weight gain and increase the nutritional value of your homemade goodies!
Interestingly enough, the recipe I am modifying, Cinnamon Butter Muffins, is a true calorie bomb with 500 calories/muffin. By replacing pumpkin for half the fat, swapping skim milk for whole milk and changing the topping, I was able to slash calories by half, fat by 75% and sugar by 4 teaspoons. I have included a nutrition profile of both for your reference.
Before Modifications | Nutrition Profile: Cinnamon Butter Muffins: serving 1 muffin (The Frog Commissary Cookbook)
500 calories, 28 grams total fat, 18 grams saturated fat, 108 mg cholesterol, 379 mg sodium, total carbohydrate 58 grams, sugar 34 grams, 5 grams protein, 18% DV for vitamin A
After Modifications | Nutrition Profile: Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins : serving 1 muffin (modified recipe)
250 calories, 7 grams total fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 51 mg cholesterol, 67 mg sodium, 43 grams total carbohydrate, 19 grams sugar, 5 grams protein, 26% DV for vitamin A
What fruits and /or veggies do you add to foods as a hidden ingredient?
Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients (serves 12)
For the Muffins
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup skim milk
- 3 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
For the Topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place baking cups in muffin-pan cups. Cream butter, sugar and pumpkin. Beat in eggs, salt and nutmeg. Stir in the flour and baking powder alternately with the skim milk until the mixture is just combined. Fill the muffin cups full. In a small bowl mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes. When muffins are done, let them cool for a minute and then turn onto cooling racks.
Alex says
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Katy @ Healthy Aperture says
Fruit and Veggies as fat replacers are a marvelous idea! We used avocado in a chocolate cake recipe for an experimental foods class a few months back and I ended up making it twice at home since! Your pumpkin muffins inspire me to try some more combinations!
@KatySkrzy
Diane Boyd says
Katy,
I like that idea of avocado in chocolate cake! I have a recipe for chocolate cake that uses mayo, I bet the avocado would be good! Thank you so much for your comment!
Annette, intern @ Meal Makeover Moms says
I love pumpkin muffins and these look fantastic! Beautiful photos too– the cup of coffee is the perfect touch.
Diane Boyd says
Annette, Thank you for your comment! I bet interning with Meal Makeover Moms is a coveted rotation! Lucky for YOU!
Cheryl Meyer says
These look and sound delicious! Definitely going to have to give these a try!!!
Diane Boyd says
Cheryl, I hope you do; think you’ll enjoy them. They also make your house smell yummy! Do you bake much?
graincrazy says
These look wonderful. I love pumpkin muffins.
graincrazy says
These look wonderful. I love pumpkin muffins. 🙂
Diane Boyd says
Me too!
Jess says
Love this combination! Looks sooo tasty!
Diane Boyd says
Jess,
Thank you for your comment! I am pleased to say they were a hit!
TastefullyJulie says
Pumpkin is a great substitute for fat. Sometimes I forget about that!
Diane Boyd says
I know, I generally use applesauce. Pumpkin is seasonal, but so delicious!
Deanna Segrave-Daly says
Who could resist these? I’m always looking for new muffin recipes (love to make them w. my 5 yr old then freeze for the week.) Your photos are gorgeous, too!
Diane Boyd says
Deanna, Yes, this would be a great recipe for baking with kids. Thank you for your kind words about my photos. I got some good tips from Regan Jones at FNCE during the photo workshop. She is so talented!