Vegan pumpkin protein muffins
A friend’s grandmother gifted me a gorgeous homegrown pumpkin so I’ve been trying out a few new recipes lately. These vegan pumpkin protein muffins are delicious and super easy to make! They're protein-rich, free from refined sugar and packed with immune-boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They make a great go-to snack and will help keep hunger at bay without filling you up with highly-processed, empty calories.
Obviously, the fresh pumpkin was the main reason I tried this recipe out. But I also have quite a bit of vegan protein powder on hand right now that I thought I would incorporate. I don’t use protein powder every day, but it’s a simple way to add a bit of extra protein to the diet without adding loads of extra calories, carbs or fats. I typically go for a clean pea protein, but sometimes also use a blend of pea, hemp and soy proteins. I used an unflavoured mix for these muffins, but a vanilla protein powder would also work well.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour*
1/2 cup protein powder**
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or make your own blend using ground spices including cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg)
1 cup pureed pumpkin
2 teaspoons egg replacer + 4 tablespoons water, mixed***
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 cup agave syrup, maple syrup or rice malt syrup
Topping
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup cacao nibs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 176 C (350 F).
Measure all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.
Add in pumpkin and egg replacer, whisk well.
Add in oil and syrup, beat into batter well to combine.
Line muffin tin with muffin liners or grease lightly with oil.
Evenly distribute batter between 12 cups, filling about 3/4 of the way.
Distribute topping evenly across muffins.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Insert toothpick into centre of muffin to test whether it’s done. (Best not to overcook, as they dry out easily.)
* I’ve tried this recipe with self-raising flour, spelt flour and almond meal flour. Each behaves a bit differently and may affect muffin density. Feel free to play around with this based on what you have in your cupboard, but also based on any dietary restrictions you may have.
**I used a combination of doTERRA’s plant-based V Shake and Complete Vanilla by Juice Plus. Contact me to learn more about these vegan-friendly products or to place an order.
*** You can also try using more banana, unsweetened applesauce or ground flaxseed mixed with water as other vegan-friendly egg replacers. However, depending on the flour you use, this may affect texture and/or consistency.
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