Pumpkin-Chia Seed Muffins  adapted from Mom-A-Licious by Do

Submitted by DEckhardt

"Healthy Cooking c/o Oprah and Dr. Oz These muffins are delicious, easy to make and great for you. Enjoy them hot out of the oven and keep extra for lunchtime snacks for the kids (or you) during the week. Pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health. Current studies link diets rich in foods with beta-carotene to reducing the risk of certain types of cancer and protection against heart disease. Chia seeds can be found at some health food stores."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 12 Muffins

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, ground (use a coffee or spice grinder)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour or 1 cup whole grain wheat flour
• 1⁄2 cup unbleached white flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (16 ounce) can organic pumpkin puree (make sure there is only pumpkin listed on the ingredient list)
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄4 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) or 1/2 cup pecans (optional)
• salt and pepper

directions

1. Can substitute 1 cup Maple Syrup with 1/2 cup agave nectar.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350°.
3. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients.
4. Fold the wet ingredients (fold in nuts now if you are using them) into the dry ingredients and spoon into paper-lined muffin or greased muffin tins. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Store completely cooled muffins in sealable plastic bags in the freezer.

Reviews

[Phat & Sassy]

I had read a recipe online for Pumpkin-Chia Seed Muffins, but didn't save it. When I went to find it again, I wasn't able to, but I found this recipe instead. I made these incorporating the few changes that I remembered from the original recipe: two tablespoons of chia seeds, all whole wheat flour, agave nectar, walnuts and a Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled and grated. They're good; I've made them twice now. The second time I used canola oil since I was low on olive oil. I thought it had a cleaner taste, but perhaps it is not as healthy as the olive oil. My muffins were done around 17 - 20 minutes.

 

[Anonymous]

this is a good recipe (though I am assuming the "salt and pepper" at the end was a mistake, since salt was already in the list). As is, it is very good. it seems to hold up to modifications too. The second time, I added extra chia, and did 100% whole wheat flour. Also bump up the seasonings- more pumpkin pie spices.It was a denser muffin- likely from the extra chia- the second time around, but still good.

 

[Noor.Khalid]

I had been wanting to try a chia seed muffin recipe so I'm glad I found this one. I made some modifications: I added 4 tbsp. of soaked chia seeds, used 3/4 cup of brown sugar instead of the maple syrup, and 3/4 cup applesauce for the oil. This made 6 muffins in my Texas-sized cups and took about 30 minutes. They came out nice and moist. Will certainly make this again--thanks for posting!