Wholesome Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Whole Wheat

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup turbinado (raw) sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Topping:
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and giving a 12-cup muffin tin a good greasing. While the oven warms, pop the dried cranberries into a bowl and cover them with hot water to soften for about 3 to 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, half a cup of sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves until everything is well combined.

Step 2

In another bowl, beat the egg whites lightly, then gently fold in the pumpkin puree, applesauce, honey, molasses, and vanilla. Make a little well in the dry ingredients and pour in the pumpkin mixture. Stir just until everything comes together—don’t overmix. Drain the cranberries and fold them into the batter.

Step 3

Spoon the batter into your muffin tin, filling each cup almost to the top. Sprinkle a few extra cranberries on each one, along with a pinch of sugar and a dash of pumpkin spice for a little extra flavor. Pop the muffins in the oven and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops feel set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!