Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins
Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins
Baking Column By Lindsay Hunt
As an unapologetic sweets lover who bakes every week, I rarely feel pulled towards a savory baked good recipe. I’ve heard wonders of cheddar scones, but a sweet scone draws my attention faster than you can say butter and flour.
This recipe for Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins is the exception to my sugary rule. They’re moist from the pumpkin puree, and sharp and spicy from cheddar, cayenne, and black pepper.
Perfect on the side of a healthy meal of roasted vegetables with brown rice, or toasted for a morning meal on the run, these muffins are well worth having around.
I saw firsthand the influence these muffins wield. I made a batch for my pumpkin carving party last fall, and they trumped my Pumpkin Pie and Buttermilk Cinnamon Doughnuts, no competition.
Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins Recipe
from Baked Explorations, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 (about 4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, optional
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray each cup of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with a little bit of vegetable spray and use a paper towel to spread the oil evenly along the bottom and up the sides of each cup.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and sour cream. Add the eggs and butter and whisk until combined.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well, and fold until just combined. Fold in three-quarters of the cheese.
- Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and the pumpkin seeds on top of the muffins. Bake them for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the muffin pan cool on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out the muffins. Serve them warm.
- Muffins taste best when eaten fresh, but they can be made ahead of time and reheated in a 200-degree oven.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Buttermilk Cinnamon Doughnuts? When will that recipe be posted
these muffins sound scumptious. i’d like to know how to make them low fat as i’m on the old weight watchers diet. (i could use fat free cheddar cheese sour cream, splenda )
Bonnie-
I’d love to know how your weight watchers-friendly version of these muffins turns out! The great thing about pumpkin puree is that it keeps baked goods so moist, so it could make up for the loss of moisture in the reduced-fat cheese. Enjoy!
I could imagine the unique taste. Planning to bake a batch this coming weekend. Just wonderin’ how do you calculate the nutritional value on this recipe?
Made this recipe over the weekend and I definitely blew my WW points on the two I ate. Absolutely fantastic, and comes together so quickly. While I was cutting the roast these little babies were baking in the oven and got to everyone’s plates hot! I used Kraft Mexican cheese blend as it was what I had on hand and I think it helped lend an added kick that the cayenne pepper already had in store for us! Going to use this recipe in lieu of regular biscuits for big family gatherings! Thank you for sharing!
Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after checking through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
{ 2 trackbacks }