Recipe: $4.45 | Per Serving: $0.37 | Yield: 12
It’s time for PUMPKIN! Actually, technically, it’s been time for pumpkin, so much so that it’s almost no longer time for pumpkin. You blink, and fall is over! Don’t worry, you can make these pumpkin muffins all year long! (Also – disclaimer – these photos are a little grainy due to the darker mornings, and that’s okay!! The muffins are still awesome. If you want to see them in HD, please scroll to the bottom for the recipe and make them RIGHT NOW.)
Here in Baltimore we haven’t been getting much of a fall. The weather was in the 80’s all through September, and the heat finally just broke at the beginning of October, leaving us with fall-ish mornings, sprinkled with 75-degree afternoons. I’ve been packing and unpacking my summer clothes for weeks. We did have some rain a few weeks ago, and that was just the push I needed to get on the PUMPKIN train.
I have exactly two go-to pumpkin recipes, pumpkin sauce / pumpkin sauce lasagna, and pumpkin chili, which is not even on the blog. However, I’d been thinking about a pumpkin twist on these Pinch of Yum banana blender muffins for some time now, and let me tell you, they’re perfect for fall. Basically, you’re looking at dates and either one banana or half a cup of applesauce for sweetness, oats for #glutenfree (see also: fiber / whole grain), optional flax-egg to keep it VEGAN, a cup of pumpkin puree, and all the spices! Simply the best.
I love that I can keep mostly pantry ingredients on hand to make these muffins whenever I have the craving for a snackable treat that’s also great for breakfast! And if you’re really fancy, go ahead and top them with maple cream cheese frosting to make them more dessert-worthy.
(This recipe is a pumpkin version of my favorite banana bread blender muffins by Pinch of Yum, which I make on the super regular, and which I highly recommend you make on the super regular as well.)
Vegetarian: Yep! And vegan if you use a flax egg!
Paleo: Nope, but totally gluten free! You could probably swap all or some of the oats for almond meal/flour for a very similar result.
Blender Pumpkin Pie Spice Muffins (No Added Sugar!)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 12-14 1x
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pitted whole dates
- 1 banana (½ cup mashed) or ½ cup applesauce
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs – or 2 flaxseed eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups rolled oats (quick oats okay too)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 pinches of salt (~¼ tsp)
Instructions
- If your dates are hard, or if your blender is old, I recommend soaking the dates in hot water for about 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Add dates to blender (and 1 Tablespoon soaking water, if desired), along with the banana or applesauce, and process/blend until mostly chopped up and combined. Scrape down the sides and add the pumpkin puree and process until quite smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients – eggs, vanilla, oats, baking soda, spices, salt, and blend until very well combined. You can choose to blend until the oats are fully processed, or leave some oats whole.
- Pour into 12 muffin cups (I use a silicone muffin pan), and bake on 350ºF for about 18-20 minutes.
- Poke with a toothpick to check for doneness (toothpick should come out 90% clean) – let cool slightly and serve!
Notes
Freeze ’em! You can definitely freeze these and store them for later. I like to chomp them before a run since oats are really easy to digest.
Nutrition Label is for 12 muffins
