Pumpkin Toffee Muffins with Streusel Topping

I made this pumpkin muffin recipe the other day, and they were so moist and delicious!  In fact, my kids are watching me post this and asking me to make them again.  The original recipe called for the streusel to be put inside the muffins, but I found a different streusel recipe, and put it on as a topping instead, and we were very happy with it this way.

Pumpkin Muffins
from: cookiedoughandovenmitt.com

1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I have a recipe here)
1 tsp. cinnamon
15 oz. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. milk
2 1/2 c. cake flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. toffee bits

Streusel
from: allrecipes.com

3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line your muffin tin with liners, or spray it with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, stir together the sugars, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  Add in the pumpkin and oil and stir it well.  Stir in the eggs, vanilla and milk.  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and then add it to the wet ingredients and mix it until it is combined.  Stir in the toffee bits and pour the batter into the muffin tin until each muffin is two thirds full.  
In a small bowl, add all of the streusel ingredients, and then mix it until it is well combined and it is in pea sized chunks.  I did this with my fingers and it worked well.
Add the streusel to the top of each muffin and press it down lightly with your fingers.  Bake it for 15 minutes at 375, and then reduce the heat to 350 for 10 more minutes.  When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, they are done.  Mine cooked perfectly this way.  

Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins & Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitution

I got this recipe from Monica a long time ago and have made it a dozen times.  Like the zucchini muffins, these are great to freeze for school lunches.  I just take one out in the morning, stick it in a baggie, throw it in the kid's lunch box and it is thawed and ready for them to eat by lunch.  They use 100% whole wheat flour and applesauce instead of oil and so you can feel good about this healthy snack choice!

Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
adapted from: allrecipes.com

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. brown sugar (I use a little less)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (see below for the substitution)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. applesauce (the original recipe calls for oil-you could do half and half, too)
1 c. honey (I use a little less)
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, beat the eggs.  Mix in the pumpkin puree, applesauce and honey.  Make a well in the flour mixture, pour in the liquid ingredients and stir to combine.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.  

Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitution
from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

In place of 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (so double this for this pumpkin muffin recipe), add the following:
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

I make these muffins all the time.  They are delicious and healthy, and they are perfect to send in my kid's lunches for school.  I freeze them in a big ziploc bag, then pull one out in the morning, put it in a baggie in their lunch box and it will be thawed and ready to eat when they are!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
by: runningonipsum.com

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. sugar (sometimes I do half white, half brown)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. milk
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla 
2 c. grated zucchini
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two muffin pans (it makes 24 muffins).  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In another bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, applesauce, milk, lemon juice and vanilla.  Stir that into the dry ingredients until it is moistened.  Fold in the zucchini.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake them for 20-25 minutes.

Banana Almond Muffins

So my good friend from work also loves to bake and she has given me a few awesome recipes that I will be keeping and making for a long time.  One recipe that she loves to make, and luckily loves to share with us the next day:), is this yummy muffin recipe.  They are sweet and filling and perfect for breakfast or brunch!  The original recipe calls for macadamia nuts, but my friend makes them with almonds and I didn't want to mess with something so perfect.  (She actually uses whole almonds but I had slivered on hand, so depending on the amount of crunch you want, you could always coarsely chop some whole almonds for the top instead.)  And if I'm completely honest, I accidentally added a little too much pineapple and I was scared it would be too thin, but they turned out perfect and I liked the added sweetness.

Banana Almond Muffins

adapted from Stasha Wampler

Yields: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 c. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 c. flaked coconut

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pinapple, drained

1 c. almonds, whole (coarsely chopped) or slivered

Directions: 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  in another bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and vanilla.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in the bananas, coconut, and pineapple.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.  Sprinkle with nuts. (Be generous.)  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Don't wait to make these!  You won't regret it.

Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins

My favorite thing to bake with right now is blueberries, I'm putting them in everything.  I wanted to make blueberry muffins the other morning for breakfast but I wanted something a little more healthy, not so much a dessert, although we all know there is a time for that.  We really liked these, warm or cold.  They were moist and sweet and I felt good after eating them, rather than feeling like I needed to go work off the sugar and butter that makes regular blueberry muffins so irresistible.  I love blueberries for breakfast.

Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins

Adapted from Joythebaker.com

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsp canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cases or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In a medium bowl combine applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil and egg.  Make a well in dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Stir until just moist.  Fold in blueberries.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.