There’s no better way to wake up to the world on a cold winters day than by munching into warm Pumpkin Spice Muffins. Pour yourself a pot of spicy chai and slather these healthy muffins with creamy Greek yogurt or your favourite cinnamon spread for a festive on-the-go breakfast.
This Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe is inspired by my healthy Morning Glory Bread. A classic in every bakers repertoire, Morning Glory recipes typically feature nutritious whole wheat, flax, apple, pear, carrots, oats, walnuts, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, and canola oil.
In 2015 I enjoyed a Farm Tour of Saskatchewan, which included a visit to Chad and Jennifer Doerksen’s fourth generation farm. The families 7000 acre property is located just outside of Saskatoon and specializes in growing canola. For someone who has always had a passion for cooking and baking, skipping through pretty yellow canola fields allowed me to gain a better understanding of why this Canadian crop is so unique.
Canola in Canada
- Canola farmers across Canada are represented by Canola Eat Well. The brands website is a fantastic resource for food fans, providing great canola recipes and nutritional facts.
- Canola was developed in the 1970s by Canadian plant scientists (a close cousin to rapeseed) and is now the oil of choice for millions around the world.
- Canola growers across Canada plant an average of 20 million acres of canola each Spring.
- Canola is grown by 43,000 family farmers on the Canadian Prairies. It’s your local Canadian choice!
- Each variety of crop grown requires certain needs at different times along its growth cycle. For example, canola requires elevated sulphur especially when it flowers which promotes the level of oil in the seed.
Why Use Canola in Your Kitchen?
- Canola oil is a good source of vitamins E and K and is packed with omega 3 fats. Omega 3 fats are an anti-inflammatory that can help protect against heart attacks and strokes. Our bodies don’t produce omega 3 fats, so we need to get them from food.
- Canola has the lowest amount of saturated fats—half that of olive oil. Saturated fats are bad fats and are linked to heart disease.
- Canola’s neutral flavour and light taste makes it great for baking and cooking. When you add herbs and spices, canola oil absorbs the flavours making it very versatile.
- Canola oil is great to use on the barbecue because it has a high heat tolerance (as high as 242 C/468 F.) Other oils break down and lose their nutritional value at high temperatures.
I like to bake pumpkin spice muffins during the Fall and Winter, but I know lots of people who make them throughout the year. This recipe yields 24 muffins. Enjoy a batch straight out of the oven with friends and family or store leftovers in the freezer to ensure they always taste fresh.
Love baking for your family? Check out our best healthy muffins for kids list!
A sponsored Dobbernationloves post
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 tbsp flax meal
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp mace
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 apple peeled, cored and grated
- 1 pear peeled, cored and grated
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts pecan, walnut, or hazelnut
- 1/2 cup dried coconut
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup whole oats
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together flour, flax, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Stir in carrot, dried fruit, nuts, coconut, pear and apple.
- In a medium bowl soak oatmeal in pumpkin, milk, beaten eggs, canola oil and vanilla.
- Stir into flour mixture until batter is just combined.
- Pour batter into a well-greased muffin tin and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
