Pumpkin Oat Muffins

• 12 servings (muffins)

• Prep time: 15 minutes

• Cook time: 20 minutes

• Total time: 35 minutes

Recipe adopted from Simple Veganista

These muffins are tender, moist and full of warm fall flavors. A perfect grab-and-go breakfast or hearty snack!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree *(can be substituted for butternut, honeynut or carnival squash!)

• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2 large eggs (can sub 2 flax egg)

• ¼ cup olive oil, or vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ⅓ cup light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1½ teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning

• 1¼ cups whole wheat flour

• ¾ cup rolled oats

• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping, optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease with oil.

• Add pumpkin puree to a large bowl, along with applesauce, eggs, oil, vanilla and brown sugar. Whisk together well.

• Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Whisk together again to incorporate everything.

• Add the flour and rolled oats to the bowl. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix, as this can result in dense muffins.

  Finally, fold in chocolate chips.

• Spoon the batter into the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling about ¾ of the way. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired.

• Bake until the tops of the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. If you have a kitchen thermometer, cook until the muffins have an internal temperature of 200℉. This will ensure they are cooked through, but not overcooked.

• Allow them to cool in pan for 15 minutes before enjoying. Once cooled completely, store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in your freezer for up to a month