Pumpkin Coconut & Raisin Muffins

Muffins can be a tiny, perfect package for breakfast or a snack, when made correctly.  Too often muffins are sugary messes – think of blueberry muffin topped with brown sugar crumble.  Delicious, but not nutritious.

I think these muffins are great!  They are not too sugary and the coconut and raisins add a delightful texture and sweetness of their own.

The recipe is loosely adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook.  I happened to have some canned pumpkin leftover from Thanksgiving time in our cabinets and used that instead of what the recipe called for – as well as some other modifications (see below).

Pumpkin Coconut & Raisin Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour or AP flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 eggs
• 1 can of pumpkin pie mix (15 oz)
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons fruit preserves (we had some peach jam that my mom canned over the summer)
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/4-1/2 cups raisins

To Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Grease a muffin tin or use paper liners.
3. Process the oats in a blender or food processor until they become the consistency of cornmeal (you can also just squish them with a rolling pin – it’s OK).
4. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and oats together.
5. Beat the eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil, vanilla, brown sugar and preserves together.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.  Add the coconut and raisins and mix just a tiny bit – don’t overmix or else the muffins will be tough.
7. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out dry and clean.
8. Cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin and then take out muffins to cool completely.   Serves 12 muffins.

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