HEALTHY PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS (SF)

 How many times have you made something using canned pumpkin but not the whole can? Recipes will call for 1 cup or 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup. So what do you do with the leftover pumpkin? I must admit I have been guilty of storing it in a small container in the refrigerator and forget about it until it is molded. Ugh. 

Well, I found a good use for leftover pumpkin. A whole can of pumpkin is usually about 1-3/4 cups. A lot of recipes call for 1 cup...so....

It is also a good recipe for tweaking it to make it more healthy. I used unbleached wheat flour and stevia for the sugar. I also used no-sugar-added dark chocolate chips. I even doubled the amount because it didn't look like enough. After eating one, I decided I would like to taste the spices a little more so I indicated that in the recipe.

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PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

3/4       cup sugar or stevia

1/4       cup oil

2          large eggs

3/4       cup canned pumpkin

1/4       cup buttermilk

1-1/2    cups flour (I used unbleached wheat flour)

3/4       teaspoon baking powder

1/2       teaspoon baking soda

1/2       teaspoon ground cinnamon (I would double this amount)

1/4       teaspoon ground nutmeg (I would double this amount)

1/4       teaspoon ground cloves

1/4       teaspoon salt

1/2       cup chocolate chips (I used 1 cup no-sugar-added dark chocolate chips.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Whisk sugar/stevia, oil, and eggs together in a medium bowl.

Stir in the pumpkin and buttermilk until well blended. (I added 1 tablespoon of buttermilk because the batter was thick.) Set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a separate bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and

stir just to combine, being careful to not overmix. 

(I added 1 tablespoon of buttermilk because the batter was thick.) 

 

Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. I used a scoop that measures about 1/4 cup.

(I had enough batter to make 4 slightly smaller muffins. I sprayed the cups and poured a little water in the empty ones so that the muffins would cook evenly.)

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a muffin. You don't want to overcook them.

 

Will keep several days in a closed container lined with paper towels at room temperature.

Store in the refrigerator after that.