Diary of an ExSloth

Tales of Food, Fitness & Healthy Living

Apple Surprise Pumpkin Spice Muffins

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Hey Friends! How’s it goin?

Happy second day of Fall! Can you tell how excited I am? 

I’m always excited when it comes to baked goods and these apple surprise pumpkin spice muffins are no exception. It’s a mouthful, but oh, what a delicious mouthful.

Apple Surprise Pumpkin Spice Muffins via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

I was working on this post at school yesterday and one of my Jamaican friends mentioned that she wasn’t a huge fan of pumpkin in sweet things. At first I kinda just stared at her in disbelief because, hello, pumpkin. But then I started thinking about it, and savoury pumpkin dishes are way more popular in the Caribbean, or at least in Trinidad.

I actually didn’t try anything sweet with pumpkin until the Fall of 2012. I know, I almost missed out on all this deliciousness. 

Apple surprise pumpkin spice muffins | @ExSloth ExSloth.com

After I realised that, I started thinking about all the other differences between Trinidad and Canada/North America. Four off the top of my head are:

1. Drinking in public. I was so confused the first time I tried to leave a bar in Canada with my drink and got stopped. It’s definitely not an issue I ever had in Trinidad. And on the topic of drinking, our legal limit is 18. I was a legal drinker in Trinidad for almost a year and then came to Canada and couldn’t drink for months until I became legal again. Seriously uncool.

2. Public Transportation. We have public transportation in Trinidad, but it isn’t even remotely as consistent or reliable as the public transportation in Canada. 

3. Driving on the Right. In Trinidad, we drive on the left. Anytime I go home, I live in fear of looking in the wrong direction before crossing the street. Not exactly a happy thought. 

4. Thanksgiving. When I tell people I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving at home, they look at me like I stole Christmas. No. I’m not a perpetually ungrateful person, nor is my middle name Scrooge.

Anyway, back to the pumpkin muffins. First, a look at what’s in them:

apple surprise pumpkin spice muffins ingredients @ExSloth ExSloth.com

Now a few words about them: These pumpkin muffins aren’t as dense as traditional ones, but they’re moist, chewy and flavourful. They’ve also got less oil and refined sugars, plus the apple/pumpkin combo is to-die for. What’s not to love? 

Apple Surprise Pumpkin Spice Muffins via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

Finally, the recipe:

Apple Surprise Pumpkin Spice Muffins
 
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These pumpkin muffins the perfect healthy treat for fall. With less oil and refined sugars, plus an apple surprise, what's not to love?
Author:
Serves: 9
Ingredients
For the muffins:
  • 1¼ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs
For the Apple Surprise:
  • 1-2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½" cubes
  • 1-2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Starting with the surprise, Heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add apples and pumpkin spice and cook until apples are soft (about 4-5 minutes). Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 350
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice.
  4. In another bowl whisk together the pumpkin, coconut oil, applesauce, maple syrup and eggs until well blended
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix gently until the batter is smooth
  6. Spoon a layer of the batter (a little less than ⅛ cup) into 9 cups of a greased or lined muffin tin.
  7. Spoon some of the apple surprise into each muffin cup
  8. Top each cup with remaining batter and tap the sides of the muffin tin to help it settle
  9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the muffins pass the toothpick test
  10. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack
  11. Store in an airtight container for up to a week
Notes
If you want your muffins a little sweeter lower the amount of applesauce and increase the maple syrup by equal amounts, but no more than ½ cup
If you don't want the surprise, you can fold the cooked apples directly into the batter at the end

Apple Surprise Pumpkin Spice Muffins @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

Want more muffin recipes? Try this one:

These Dairy-freee Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Muffins are dense and free of refined sugars. The perfect comfort food for warm winter days via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

What about you?

What are some of the differences between the places you’ve lived? Have you baked anything with pumpkin for the season yet? What’s your favourite fall flavour?

Share in the comments below!
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This post was added to the following linkups: Inspire Me Mondays, Twirl & Take a Bow, Monday Handmade Linkup, Create Link Inspire, Whatever Goes Wednesday, The Weekend Re-Treat, Recipe Friday, Strange but Good, Frugal Crafty Home

Comments

  6. Amanda @ .running with spoons.com says

    Aww! You didn’t come to the -right- part of Canada! Here in Alberta, our drinking age is 18 too 🙂 So you can imagine my disappointment when I travelled down to the States around 19 and wasn’t able to go to any of the clubs down their because their legal age is 21. Pffft.

    And girllll! These look delicious! Way to combine some of the best fall flavours! You better believe I’m all about baking with the pumpkin now, but sadly… so is everyone else in my city, Pumpkin shortage! Eek!
    Amanda @ .running with spoons.com recently posted…. WIAW… the tastiest season of the year .

    Reply

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