mackin' good y'all.

The pumpkin muffins got made and they are crazy good. I changed the recipe so much however, I am posting it here. It's much healthier, less sweet, but still really yummy.

chocolate chip pumpkin muffins

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cups apple sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flours, spices, and all the other dry stuff together. In a different bowl mix the eggs, oil, applesauce and pumpkin. Add the dry stuff- to the wet,then stir in the chocolate chips. Bake 20 min. A clever commenter yesterday suggested dropping this batter by the tablespoon on sheet to make soft cookies (cook for 8-10 minutes) and I think this is brilliant.

Frikken yum. I do have to admit that I got a bite that tasted like baking soda yesterday and it was nasty. I think it was just a pocket of soda. The weird thing is, I have had that same taste in my mouth all day today too, but I haven't had any muffins. . .so I am tasting metal for no reason (isn't this indicative of something?) I'm not going to do any research on this because it will freak me out. Thanks for all your eye makeup remover tips, no blindness for me!

Comments

[Micaela]

Mmmmmmm...can't wait to try those. Love the healthier version too - I'm always looking for ways to do that.

[stephanie]

Oh my gosh! I just recently made pumpkin muffins and I got a baking soda bite, too! Blech.

Maybe a bit of it was stuck somewhere and is just lingering on. :)

[Emily]

For some reason that always seems to happen to me when I make muffins that require baking soda - I think the best way to avoid that is to mix it up first with a tbsp of boiling water (or in a fine liquid of the recipe like milk) first so its all dissolved. Nevertheless they look so delicious - I want to make some now!

[Heather]

Pumpkin anything makes me happy. Thanks for the recipe!

[kat]

thanks for the recipe! sounds yummy.

[Mary Beth]

I just love all the pumpkiny goodness in the fall. And pumpkin with chocolate? Heaven!!

[sharon]

The muffins look so yummy. Thanks for the recipe.

[busyHSmom]

My family all love pumpkin muffins too! Those look so yummers. I can't wait to try your recipe.

To prevent the baking soda problem, I always sift it into the dry ingredients using my mesh tea strainer as a sifter. That usually helps.

And I wanted to say "Thanks" for your lovely blog. How nice of you to share yourself and add a little beauty to the world.

[Marmite Breath]

I don't want to alarm you, but I always tasted metal when I was pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Yes, insane amount of exclamation points, but probably warranted)

PS) Pumpkin + Chocolate = Me blowing my WW points for the day. I'll save the recipe for a day when I have spare points. Man, they sound great.
PPS) I love your book. I take it everywhere with me and plan what I'm going to make. I've sung its praises to everyone I know!

[arb]

Hey does this make more than 12? I make an oatmeal raisin muffin (to use up the leftover oatmeal I collect during the week) that takes 1/2 cup brown sugar, and no other sweetener other than raisins or dried cherries (which are admittedly pretty sweet!) for 12 (smallish) muffins and they are plenty sweet.

[Bluebirdbaby]

Looks good! Wish I wasn't gluten free :(

Have you ever used agave nectar, honey or maple syrup as a substitute instead of sugar? I do all the time and I like that they are more natural sweeteners than just sugar.

[Marie]

So great you shared a healthier option with us! Here is Australia we dont have canned pumpkin so I can cook and mash my own and we dont have apple sauce - is it just apple cooked and mashed or is it different? If it is different any ideas what I can subsitute it with? BTW love your blog and book - thank goodness for Amazon!

[AllyB]

Thanks for the recipe. This'll be great this weekend when the weather cools off a bit.

[laurie]

yep, everything's better with chocolate chips, yep.

[Christy]

I just ate dinner and now I want those muffins! Definitely making time soon to bake some. Thanks for sharing. :)

[Kirstin]

Yep, metallic taste is supposed to go along with some pregnancies--I had it with one of mine. Hopefully that's not the cause of your case already! :) Sifting the baking soda or powder into the dry ingredients is what I do, too, after having a few such episodes. Works well.

[chelsea]

new commenter on your blog :) Thanks for sharing the recipe. I LOVE LOVE LOVE pumpkin chocolate chip breads/cookies/muffins. Anytime of the year, they're delicious.

I'll have to try it with the applesauce substitute. They look so tasty.

[erika]

Yep, metal taste was my first sign of pregnancy. With twins. ;-)

[Lynne Nelson-Berg]

Im in the uk and we dont get canned pumpkin either....could you just cook some and let it cool down? It sounds sooooo yummy!

[Katharina]

Thanks for the recipe! The muffins look yummy! I'll try those next weekend!

And thanks for the book, too. I'm from Germany and got it from amazon.

[dottycookie]

Oh, yes, they shall be mine - well, assuming the kids let me have any. Thanks for the recipe!

[jen]

Muffins look super. I've always made that pumpkin chocolate chip recipe as a cookie. I can't wait to try it this way...I'm guessing you've already switched to a non-aluminum baking soda for the health reasons, but if not, try it. Rumford works well for me and I don't get that metallic taste in baked goods anymore. Look for it.

[Kimmie]

Thanks for the recipe...I think my kids would love this fall recipe.
I always get that taste in my mouth with baking soda (mostly in muffins) not sure why, though I always wondered if I had some kind of intolerance to it...because no matter the amount used, I always seem to taste that in a "bigger" way. A little weird, but nothing to complain about really ;-)

Kimmie
mama to 6
* I just posted my first knitted socks...come see I am so excited!

one homemade and 5 adopted

[Junie Moon]

Thank you for the recipe, the muffins look and sound delicious.

[kat]

The muffins sound quite delish. As soon as our days quit hitting 90 degrees, perhaps I'll turn the oven on. . . oh, and just so as to avoid any confusion, Rumford is actually baking powder. You can check out the differences between soda and powder by the following link: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.html if you're at all interested. (What can I say, I used to be a professional baker and can get somewhat geeky about this stuff!) Definitely give sifting your sodas and powders into your flour before adding to your liquids; it really helps avoid lumps. Enough from me - thanks for giving me a craving for pumpkin!!!

[sarahk]

they sound yummy, I make a weight watcher friendly version that has cinnamon chips for something different.

[megan]

those look so good! I will be making these soon. fall had hit where i am. perfect for an afternoon snack. Thanks for sharing.

[amy k.]

some answers:

if you can't get canned pumpkin: you can mash up cooked pumpkin, but I find it's usually too weird when I bake. Just my experience, at least with pumpkin

applesauce: yup, just cooked mashed up apples.

muffins: they make about 16 total filled really high, and you can leave out the chocolate chips (but why?!ha!)

pregnant: no, thank god. ha!

[Day]

So yummy! But ditto on what Kat said - 90 degree days are just too hot for oven-time. Those are on my to-do list though - thanks for the recipe! And yeah - metal taste? Total pregnancy symptom!

[Carrie]

Folks in the UK and Australia: yes, you can cook and mash your own pumpkin. Some of our wacky American recipes call for "canned pumpkin pie filling." In that case, you'd have to add all manner of sugar and spices. In this case, it's just mashed up cooked winter squash. The canned variety is very smooth, so you may want to push your cooked squash through a sieve or just really mash it well. And, yes apple sauce is just cooked and smashed apples. Commercial canned applesauce is usually really smooth too, so if you want the same texture, peel the apples and run them through a sieve after cooking too.
I lived in Australia for a while. . .the grocery stores really do offer different stuff!

And, Amy, really, this one looks tasty. Thank you for the recipe, the book and all of your wonderful posts on your blog. I read daily.

[Christina]

These look great! How many does the recipe make?

[Christina]

Never mind! After reading the comments, I got my answer! :)

[sequinK]

Made the muffins this morning as I had everything on hand -- yum! My batter was pretty thick, so I ended up baking the muffins for closer to 30 minutes, but they turned out dense and filling. I also added some walnuts as I heart walnuts with pumpkin. Oh, and I also put a metal mesh colander that fits perfectly inside a medium-ish mixing bowl, and dump all my dry ingredients into that to avoid any lumpage. Which may be, in retrospect, why my batter came out a little thickish. HHmmm.

Thanks for the recipe!

[J9]

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins/cookies are my fall favorite! I can't wait to try out this recipe - it looks really yummy and easy (and low-ish fat, can't get any better!). This even looks like a good breakfast treat for in the car on the way to school in cookie-form. LOVE IT! (and please, don't look up ANYTHING about tasting metal - no good can come of it....) :o)

[Sue H]

Those muffins sound great - I want to try them with WHITE chocolate chips!! Now there is a combination for me! Thanks for the recipe!

[carrie d.]

Nice recipe, Amy, I can't wait to try it! I like the different ways you lightened it.

arb: The original recipe that she modified made 36 muffins. Here's my scaling calculations to make fewer muffins (use 1/3 of ingredients):

Yield: 12 muffins

1/2 c flour
1/2 c whole-wheat flour
2/3 tsp baking soda
2/3 tsp baking powder
2/3 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
scant 1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c brown sugar
1-1/3 oz white sugar
(total sugar makes 1/2 c)
1 eggs plus 1 T water
0.8 oz vegetable oil (24 g): about 4.75 tsp
1.8 oz applesauce (56 g): 3 T plus 2 tsp
(total oil plus applesauce makes 1/3 c or 2.6 oz or 80 g)
5 oz can pumpkin
1/2 c chocolate chips

[Rachel]

Those look so yum! Do you think I could use even less sugar than that though? 1.5 cups still seems like a lot to me.

[Jenny]

Further to the sifting baking soda comments -- if you don't have a sifter, a few pulses of the food processor works well for blending dry ingredients and incorporating air. Failing that, several turns of a wire whisk will do the trick as well. I used both methods with making pumpkin spiced cupcakes a couple weeks ago and they came out rather nicely.

[HEATHER]

I am afraid you might be tasting metal from eating too many sweets and your blood sugar is not regulating itself. When diabetics are in ketoacidosis, they taste metal. That is why a lot of pregnant women taste metal as well. their bodies cannot regulate the sugar as quickly as normal. Just thought you might be better off knowing so you can keep an eye out for that. If you start having excess thirst, go to doctor.

[Christina]

Oh my goodness!!! HEAVEN! Will have to make some for my munchkins. Thanks for sharing.

[knitopia]

I love chocolate chip pumpkin muffins. A local bakery adds almond slivers to theirs. I always forget to add them to mine. It adds a little crunch and some good fat.

[kelly]

ok - these are definitely going on our baking list! I get so crazy over pumpkin stuff this time of year - pumpkin bread, soup, cookies, bars, stew, curry - ack! Thanks so much for more inspiration!

[Rebecca]

Oooh, this sounds great! I am always looking for more healthy muffin recipes, since I need portable breakfast for work. Maybe I will try this next week.

Do you know any good recipes for pumpkin fudge?

[Noa]

Delicieux! I cooked the pumpkin instead of using the canned version. It worked just fine. Great book, great cook. Je suis jalouse...

[Allison Fouse]

i made this recipe with my kids today, and they're already gone. that's how good it was. oh yum. i think i'll make some more. =)

[Shaylind Standing]

I did the metal taste research last year and found very little that I considered helpful. Just FYI.
Thanks for the muffin recipe. We love muffins here. :)

[Noa]

Délicieux! I cooked the pumpkin myself and it worked perfectly. Thanks for sharing.

[Ariana]

Those look amazing! I love that you posted the healthier recipe. Pumpkin muffins are heavenly, and to have them be healthier would just be even more perfection.

[StephL]

Hey, I tried to make these but the tops of mine were soggy and saggy. Does this mean I didn't cook them long enough? I did mash my own pumpkin, but I don't feel like that should've made a difference.

Any suggestions anyone?

[heather t]

I made these! They are delicious. I ran out of whole wheat flour, so I used regular unbleached white flour, and it worked just fine. I only have 24 muffin cups, so I made the "cookies" on a baking sheet and those are pretty great too.

[tina]

I can't wait to try this!!!

[Diana]

When I got pregnant my mouth tasted like metal and I was really happy because I had read in a book that it could be a sign. (It happened before I missed my period.)

[lisa s]

those look so so so good.

[so sorry about the metal taste. hope it goes away soon]

[Sara]

Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! These are super yummy. We are enjoying some right now. I did not have any chocolate chips but I added some pecans on top of half of the muffins and they so good. Can't wait for the chocolate chip version!

[pinkpoppies]

Thanks for the recipe. With that amount of apple sauce, you can cut the total sugar to 1/2 cup total. Most American recipes call for way too much sugar. Try 1/4 cup white and 1/4 brown, and add 1 tbs maple syrup. It will be wicked. Pink

PS Saw your book mentioned in Country Living and felt proud that I recognized you and the craft club/tie on one!!

[melissa]

thank you for the recipe (and the healthier substitutions that you made). my daughter and i just finished baking these - but we did them as cookies - and they are completely delicious!
it was a great recipe to bake with a two-year old helper too, aside from the egg whites there was nothing that was too fiddley for her to help with.
thanks again!

[anne]

Wonderful recipe -- thank you!
Although your baking soda taste is probably unrelated, I did think there was a lot of soda in the recipe, so I decided to be your guinea pig and cut it to one teaspoon. The muffins rose wonderfully.

[Amanda]

Hi! I love your blog, have never commented BUT I just made these muffins from your healthier recipe and Wowzah! Those are some yummy muffins! Thanks for the excellent recipe! =)

[Sherri]

Hey, just made the muffins--yummylisciousness! Thanks for making them more healthy. The applesauce/pumpkin combo makes for a nice moist muffin (many times my muffins turn out to be hockey pucks). Autumn-y, pumpkin-y goodness!

[jennifer]

sorry for the confusion from previous post. I should have said..."Maybe the metallic taste is from the baking powder and not the baking soda. Both ingredients are listed." This still may not be the cause, but I hate that taste, too and once I changed baking powder...gone. I'll just go back to lurking now.

[Spud]

I and 35 other people...well less cause some of our customers that came to our office yesterday had more than 1 of your "Made-Healthy-PUmpkin Muffins"..ANYWAY...we want to Thank you so much for the recipe! Delicious--i would never have made the original recipe with so much oil..and was thrilled to see you'd already tested a much healthier version. Keeping this recipe handy in my LivingCookbook on my computer.

[julie]

you have such yummy healthy recipes i was wondering if you might have a waffle recipe?? you would be willing to share
thanks so much julie

[Megan]

I made these muffins tonight following your healthy version recipe and they are FANTASTIC!!! The perfect amount of pumpkin and chocolate ... I will definitely make them again when the weather is cooler outside.

[Amy Evans]

just made them for a girlfriend visting for the weekend....YUMMY.

[Annie]

this was a perfect recipe, mine just came out of the over about 20 minutes about. devine. What a perfect harvest treat.

well done.
thank you.

[Leta]

Thanks for the recipe, I'm trying it today! First pumpkin recipe of the season, I am excited!

[jj]

add me to to the "metallic taste = pregnancy" camp.

we'll definitely be making those muffins sometime this week. thanks for the recipe!

[Laurie]

We all loved the muffins. My baking soda was clumpy (is that a word?) so I rubbed it through a seive. My husband (on a diet) even felt like he could eat one.

[D-]

I don't see enough acidic ingredients in the recipe to justify 2 teaspoons of baking soda, which will result in the metallic taste so many have commented on. Anne had good results with one teaspoon, which seems more appropriate. And using a double-acting baking powder will help too.

Also remember to sift well to eliminate lumps, combine with liquid at the last moment, mix quickly and immediately get it in the oven, to prevent losing gas necessary for rising.

[Nicole]

Thanks for the recipe. I had to post it on my blog....YUMMMM.

[Kirsten]

Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I made them the other day (sifted the dry ingredients) and they were a huge hit. My son keeps wanting more and I have to remind myself they aren't really a treat (except for the chocolate) because they are full of pumpkin and apple sauce.

[Rebecca]

I just got a small pumpkin at the farmer´s market today and made these. Wow, they are great, and a hit with my family! And one of the pets liked them too, whoever it was stole a few bites out of the muffins I left on the table. ;)

[JennyAnn]

If you whisk the dry ingredients with a wire whisk, you should be able to break up any yucky "soda pockets". Also, the sugar will mix more finely with the dry ingredients (sugar is actually a wet ingredient! really!) which makes for an even BETTER muffin!

thanks for the recipe!

[liz]

oh my goodness - i just made these today with my daughter, and they are soooo good!
i have to practice some major restraint not to gobble them all up! a perfect excuse to share them with the neighbors - so i won't eat them all!

[Molly]

these sound SO good, i will definitely try them. maybe you should sift all the dry ingredients together? i sift all mine when baking.

[Betty Cracker]

I found your recipe through google after I had a dream about making pumpkin muffins with white chocolate chips. My large and in charge pregnant self made them with my 2 year old today and holy magnanimous were they tasty! We used White chocolate chips, fresh pumpkin and 2 tbs. Milled flax seed as an added health thing. As far as the metal taste in baking powder...RUMFORD brand is aluminum free, better tasting and better for you! Thanks again!

[feathernester]

Thanks for the recipe! I made these last night and have eaten (ahem) several since then. Thank goodness I sent most of them off to work with The Husband today. I've allowed myself 24 hours of gobbling them up and now have to practice restraint. Anyway, he said someone at work was begging for the recipe, so I've directed them here to your blog, too! The only substitution I made was Splenda for the white sugar. I know that's of questionable health, but I love Splenda and will likely use it until someone tells me I will grow an extra head or something. But I very much appreciate your tinkering to get it healthy with the wheat flour and applesauce. I almost added some wheat germ, but decided to try it as recommended. Do you ever use wheat germ in your baking? Or flaxseed? That's another one I've been thinking a lot about lately... Anyway, thanks for a great recipe!

[Awesome Liz]

OMG TASTY. I made these last night - thanks for posting the recipe! The smell that filled my kitchen was AMAZING and my coworkers loved them :-D

[Tuesday]

My kids loved these, thank you!

[nikkapotamus]

Thanks for the muffins. My 2 year old and I made these today. they turned out EXCELLENT! I think it was the home made applesauce we made this weekend too. I just adore pumpkin season.

Hey Australia- apple sauce: peel and core your apples, slice em up, add some water (not too much-maybe a cup for about 10 small/medium apples) and boil them until they are mushy (20 min). Then you take the whole mess and mush it up some more. You can add sugar and cinnamon if you are of that persuasion, or just eat it at is.

[shawnna]

just made these, and they're amazing. thanks!!

[Ali]

Yum yum - even my pumpkin hating offspring really enjoyed them! But I only made half a batch. I am curious as to why most American baked goods recipes make such VAST amounts.

Thanks for sharing.

[gleek]

just made these.. they ARE mackin' good! i made large muffins and used some of the batter to make the cookies as well. no whole wheat flour left in the house, so used white flour and some gluten-free stuff too. messed up the white to brown sugar ratio and used egg replacer instead. turned out awesome!

[Kristen]

Thanks for the healthier version, I couldn't find one that looked yummy and healthy at the same time. I was however, hoping for one that used a different kind of sweetener altogether, like maple syrup or honey or molasses, etc.