I really had no intention of writing about muffins today. But thanks to jet lag I was awake at 2:30 a.m. again and by 6:00 I was fully caffeinated with lots of new recipes brewing in my head. It was nice and cool and foggy this morning, perfect weather for a warm and spicy batch of muffins.
Luckily, my sister had taken me out shopping yesterday for my baking basics so I had everything necessary for these pumpkin muffins. Although some of my muffin recipes use a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flours, these are 100% whole wheat. They also have very little fat compared to traditional muffins. But believe me, they don’t taste like health food!
I took a chance using sweetened dried cranberries in place of the raisins I would normally put in a recipe like this. And I really wasn’t sure I would like it. But the combination of cranberries and walnuts was really great!
Although this recipe only calls for two tablespoons of oil, they are far from dry. I really think that the pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and honey all help contribute to the texture of these muffins. These three ingredients keep the muffins moist and tender without being heavy and oily like many traditional muffins.
I absolutely love using King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat Flour. The name of the flour is slightly misleading. It’s not a whole wheat flour that has been bleached, just a new strain of wheat that makes a flour lighter in color and texture than traditional red wheat. It has all the nutritional benefits of traditional whole wheat flour and can be used exactly the same way.
I love King Arthur’s traditional whole wheat flour in yeast breads but this white whole wheat flour is really great in quick breads or anywhere you would like a lighter texture. I’ve even used this flour in pie crusts! If you are new to baking with whole wheat flour or think that you don’t like whole wheat baked goods, give this flour a try. I really think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
While living in Sicily, I would actually buy King Arthur flour online and have it shipped to me, it’s that good! But, I ran out of my supply a while back and didn’t want to have any more shipped because of the impending move. It was so nice to be able to buy my favorite flour in the grocery store yesterday!
Actually, it was really nice to buy a lot of things in the store yesterday that would have normally been hard for me to find overseas. We went to a new (to me) store called Sprouts and I got way too excited about the selection of grains in the bulk bins. And then there were the cheap avocados! And cheap limes! And cheap mangoes! And jicama! And cilantro! Last night my sister and I split a yummy mango and jicama salad with lime and cilantro. So simple, so good, and so not Sicilian!
I do miss Sicily, I really do. But I’m getting very excited to start experimenting with a whole new range of ingredients that haven’t been readily available to me for the last few years.
I’ll write about that jicama salad soon but for now, let’s get back to these muffins! The thing about using 100% whole wheat flour in muffins is they might not rise as high as muffins made with an all-purpose flour or cake flour. Since I like my muffins to have a fully formed “muffin top,” I try to create recipes with enough batter to completely fill up those muffin cups. I’m not talking about 2/3 full or 3/4 full, I fill those babies up to the top!
This recipe give you enough batter to completely fill 12 standard sized muffin cups. When they bake, the batter should rise up and over the cups, resulting in some big and beautiful muffins.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Cranberries and Walnuts
2 1/2 C. whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 C. pumpkin puree (I use canned)
2 T. oil
3/4 C. honey
2 eggs
2/3 C. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C. sweetened dried cranberries (like Craisins)
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a standard size 12 cup muffin tin (I use cooking spray).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, honey, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.
5. Divide batter evenly between 12 standard sized muffin cups. Bake 20-23 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. Muffins are done when they spring back lightly to the touch or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Related Recipes:
- Applesauce Spice Muffins
- Best Banana Muffins
- Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
- Peachy Banana Muffins
- Pumpkin Maple Muffins
- Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Spice Scones
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
Around the Web:
- Pumpkin Ginger Nut Muffins from Simply Recipes
- Pumpkin Muffins from Smitten Kitchen
- Pumpkin Muffins from Gluten Free Bay
- Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins from Farmgirl Fare
- Pumpkin Corn Muffins from Karina’s Kitchen
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins from Baking Bites
Nicole, I would certainly have these muffins alongside some cornbread!
10:58 am Nov 20th, 2007Peter: How the heck do you always get here so fast?! You just gave me an idea…maybe I’ll try mixing some of that cornbread mix with the leftover canned pumpkin and see what happens…
10:59 am Nov 20th, 2007I don’t use whole wheat flour as often as I should. Maybe that will be my New Year’s resolution this year!! These muffins sound wonderful.
11:05 am Nov 20th, 2007Hey Nicole! I love the combo of cranberries and pumpkin. Those little gems look amazing. Something good *can* arise from insomnia.
And thanks a bunch for the muffin shout-out! Much appreciated.
12:05 pm Nov 20th, 2007Deborah: I’ve always baked whole wheat bread but it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve been using it in things like quick breads and pancakes. I’ve come to realize that besides being healthier, it actually makes many things taste better.
Karina: I now realize that I like the combination too! I guess I wasn’t sure how I would like the tartness of the berries with the warm pumpkin pie spices. But it worked!
12:24 pm Nov 20th, 2007They do sound really good. I’m also a big fan of the white whole wheat flour!
12:54 pm Nov 20th, 2007These look wonderful! And I am really itching to make your pumpkin roll. Probably next week, though… Thanks for the inspiration.
1:50 pm Nov 20th, 2007look at those mangoes
i love cranberries too whether it’s in dried or fresh forms. this time of year we surely eat a lof of them.
2:56 pm Nov 20th, 2007I’m putting this at the top of my list of recipes to try! They look amazing, and healthy. (Healthy = Craig will eat them).
4:14 pm Nov 20th, 2007Kalyn: It’s good stuff!
Deb: Thanks! I haven’t made any pumpkin roll this year…not sure if I’ll get around to it before I get pumpkined out!
Eliza: The mango I had last night was pretty good although a little under ripe. It was perfect for the salad, though!
Katie: Cool! I hope you guys like them!
5:17 pm Nov 20th, 2007Hi Nicole! These look and sound d’lish!
5:22 pm Nov 20th, 2007I too am in love with the “white” whole wheat flour…it’s so lite!
Thanks for the recipe:)!
Mmm…bringing back memories of muffins I made for a friend last week –but mine had pepitas which added a nice flavor. Very similar recipe quite tasty!
6:59 pm Nov 20th, 2007These look delicious and I just wound up with A LOT of pumpkin puree last night, so I am looking forward to trying these…after Thanksgiving. Also, I love your attitude about the big move - it is great to see that you are positive about change.
4:20 am Nov 21st, 2007I say this is the best way of dealing with jet lag!
10:07 am Nov 21st, 2007These sound and look fabulous. I used a recipe from Swirling Notions for a pumpkin contest today. The pumpkin spice cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting. I won first place! I was so excited, I’ll send you a pic when I get them.
12:36 pm Nov 21st, 2007I just made muffins quite similar to this, so I must say it’s a delicious combination.
6:59 pm Nov 21st, 2007Yours look so wonderful and fluffy. Aside from missing Sicily, it must be so great to reintroduce yourself to North American offerings.
Could this batter be used as a quick bread in a loaf pan? I love the ingredient list; buttermilk, honey, pumpkin, walnuts, very little oil…has anyone tried it as quick bread?
7:16 pm Dec 2nd, 2007I like King Arthur as well…and muffins, yum.
12:27 pm Dec 7th, 2007