Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Walnuts
Moist, wholesome pumpkin muffins make a perfect fall snack.
Sep 17, 2009
Fall often brings to mind apple cider, pecan pies, chili... and anything pumpkin. Accompanied by a hot cup of coffee or big glass of milk, these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with toasted walnuts make the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack. Luckily they take less than half an hour to make, and they're relatively guilt-free, too. By cutting the amount of butter and substituting plain, fat-free yogurt, these muffins manage to stay light and moist without adding unnecessary fat and calories. An additional nutrition boost comes from the whole wheat flour, pure pureed pumpkin and skim milk.
Toasting the walnuts before adding them to the batter helps to develop a more pronounced flavor. Keep an eye on the skillet, though; once the walnuts start to cook, they can go from "lightly toasted" to burnt very quickly! Feel free to leave out the chocolate chips if preferred. You can also substitute milk chocolate chips or butterscotch chips for a slightly different flavor.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Toasted Walnuts
Serves 12
- ½ Cup Walnuts, Chopped
- 1 ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree (NOT Pumpkin Pie Filling)
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup Butter, Melted
- 1/4 Cup Fat-Free Milk
- 1/8 Cup Plain, Fat-Free Yogurt
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbs Vanilla
- ¾ C Whole Wheat Flour
- ¾ C All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Allspice
- 1 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped walnuts and toast, tossing frequently. Walnuts are ready when fragrant and very lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, sugars, butter, milk, yogurt, egg and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and allspice. Use a whisk to blend.
- Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture. Use a spoon or spatula to stir until just combined. Don't overmix or muffins will be tough.
- Add chocolate chips and toasted walnuts to bowl and mix evenly.
- Divide batter among muffin tins, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing muffins from pan.
These muffins will keep for several days in an airtight container. Don't worry about leftovers- the muffins freeze well and can be reheated in the microwave as needed.
