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Vegan Pumpkin Power Muffins
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5 from 5 votes

Vegan Pumpkin Power Muffins

These vegan pumpkin power muffins are brimming with cozy fall flavor. They're packed with energizing seeds, vitamin-rich pumpkin, and fiber-filled whole spelt flour. They're just sweet enough to make them desirable but not so sweet that they can't be enjoyed for breakfast or healthy snack!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Muffins, Snack
Cuisine: plant-based, Vegan
Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 2 tablespoons filtered water
  • 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
  • ½ loosely packed cup finely grated carrot
  • cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon melted virgin coconut oil
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups whole spelt flour
  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, plus more for topping if desired
  • ¼ pepitas, plus more for topping if desired
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and water. Let stand for 5 minutes to thicken. Then, whisk in the remaining wet ingredients (i.e., pumpkin purée, carrot, coconut sugar, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla).
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (i.e., spelt flour, sunflower seeds, pepitas, cranberries, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt).
  • Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and use a large wooden spoon to stir until just combined (read: no flour patches remain). Be careful not to overmix—spelt has a delicate gluten structure, so over-mixing can result in dry, crumbly muffins.
  • Divide the batter equally among the 12 muffin liners. (Since the batter is quite thick and fluffy, an ice cream scoop is great for this job.)
  • If desired, garnish the top of each with a light sprinkling of sunflower seeds and pepitas. Press down lightly to ensure they stick to the batter.
  • Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs at the tip.
  • Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

*Green or black sunflower seeds after baking? Fret not. Don't be surprised if the sunflower seeds inside the muffins turn a dark green or nearly black shade—this is a completely normal, natural reaction. Sunflower seeds contain chlorophyll, which reacts with baking soda when heated and turns green. But neither the flavor nor the nutritional properties are affected by this quirky color change!