Pumpkin Spice Muffins

We caught our first cool fall breeze this week. Do you know what that means? It’s pumpkin season! Let's kick off fall with these pumpkin spice muffins.

Finding yourself low on energy immediately before your workout? I love grabbing one of these muffins as I drive to the gym! They are low in fats so they don't sit heavy in your stomach but will offer a boost of energy before your workout.

If you'd like to enjoy the muffins as a more satisfying snack I suggest adding a smear or nut butter or try serving them with a side of high-protein cottage cheese or Greek yogurt! The extra fats from nut butter or protein from cottage cheese will slow the digestion of the carbs in the muffins to keep you feeling satisfied for hours.

These muffins are made extra wholesome with a few ingredient swaps.

• Oat flour. Instead of using white flour I made oat flour. Simple measure out 2 cups (160g) of oats and grind them in a hand blender or food processor to a flour-like texture.
• Greek yogurt. I used Greek yogurt as a subtitle for oil making the muffins lower in fat and an excellent pre-workout carb-containing snack. You can add extra fats to the muffins by serving them with a smear of almond butter or peanut butter.
• Maple syrup. Maple syrup isn't superior compared to other forms of added sugar like brown sugar or white sugar in terms of digestion rate and blood sugar regulation. However, maple syrup does offer a boost of minerals including manganese and zinc. If you don't have maple syrup you can use a different liquid sweetener like honey or equal amounts of brown sugar.
• Spices. The cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice offer more than just a fall aroma to these muffins. Spices contain antioxidants that boost the nutrient content!
• Pumpkin. Pumpkin puree os low in calories but rich in fibre and vitamin A. The pumpkin adds flavour and moisture to the muffins.
• Chocolate. We chose dark chocolate chunks as our add-in. Chocolate contains healthy fats, magnesium, and antioxidants for a boost of nutrition. You can try other add-ins like pumpkin seeds, pecans, or walnuts!