Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins are full of good for you ingredients, and being low in fat (except if you add chocolate chips) they are a healthy breakfast alternative. Besides that, they are very versatile. Elizabeth loves them stuffed full of chocolate chips, I love them with dried cranberries, or you can make them just plain. I have also made this into a protein bar type muffin by adding a scoop of protein powder and a couple of scoops of flax seeds.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup ground oats*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
couple pinches of salt
1 cup dried cranberries or chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp canola oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour and ground oats. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, sugar & salt. Stir in the dried cranberries or chocolate chips (if using). In a small bowl whisk together pumpkin, milk, syrup, vanilla and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined (do not overmix.) Spoon into a lined or lightly oiled muffin pan. Bake for 19 - 24 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes a dozen small muffins.

* To make ground oats, place approximately 1 1/3 cups rolled oats into a food processor or blender and process until the texture of a course flour.