Like I said earlier, I’m beyond ready for fall. And since I can’t wear jeans and boots here for another couple of months I’m looking to other means to get my autumn fix: PUMPKINS!!
I suppose pumpkin is one of those things you either love or hate. It’s kinda like coconut or seafood in that regard. No fence sitters. I love pumpkin. Brad hates it. The boys tolerate it in small doses. This means when I bake anything with pumpkin, I go into it with the assumption that I will be the only one in the house to eat it. So in order to remain on friendly terms with my waistline I came up with a low-calorie high-protein pumpkin muffin. Each muffin only has about 80 calories and is packed with heart healthy goodness. This is a variation on a banana muffin recipe I found on pinterest, and after altering a bit, have enjoyed all summer.
High-Protein Pumpkin Muffins:
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup canned pumpkin (use plain pumpkin – not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup plain low-fat greek yogurt
6 tbs egg whites (I buy egg whites in the carton. 6 tbs = 2 eggs or you could use 4 egg whites. I just hate wasting yolks.)
3/4 cup stevia for baking
1 heaping tbs of rice protein powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2 In a food processor or blender, mix all the ingredients together. Blend until smooth. (I usually blend my oats up first before adding anything else. This helps make them a little smoother)
3 Divide mixture among muffins tins and place into pre-heated oven. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until tops are lightly golden brown.
4 Allow muffins to cool.
5. ENJOY!!!
