These vegan banana chocolate chip pumpkin muffins may take a little time to make (especially if you're roasting your own pumpkins), but they're perfect for a mid-morning snack on a chilly day and make a wonderful treat to share with friends and family. Plus, with warming spices and fruit-sweetened goodness, they're arguably yummier (and healthier) than your average bakery fare.
Right before whipping these up, I roasted two sugar pie pumpkins and puréed the roasted pumpkin (I've included the instructions for doing so). This gave me plenty of fresh pumpkin purée (for a few batches of muffins plus some pumpkin soup)--so if you love fresh pumpkin, plan on making a big batch of purée. It keeps for one week in the fridge and one month in the freezer (I divided my freezer purée into portions that I knew I would use in the future (3 cups for a soup, 1 cup for another batch of muffins, etc.).
That said, canned pumpkin purée works, too! Just be sure to purchase plain, unsweetened pumpkin purée rather than pumpkin pie filling. (Note: your prep time will be much shorter.)
YIELDS
12 muffins
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 1 sugar pie pumpkin, halved with seeds scooped out (or more pumpkins if you'd like plenty of leftover purée)
- cooking oil of your choice
- 2 tablespoons flax meal
- 6 tablespoons warm water
- 1 ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons apple sauce or liquid sweetener
- 1/3 cup vegan milk (I used unsweetened soy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin spice blend
- 3/4 cup stevia-sweetened vegan chocolate chips or chunks
Directions
(Skip steps 1-4 if you already have pumpkin purée handy.)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Halve sugar pie pumpkins. Scoop out seeds and discard (or reserve for roasting). Take a small dab of cooking oil, and using your fingers, and coat the pumpkin halves. Place fleshy part down on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Roast for 45-50 minutes or until pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
4. Once the halves are cool, scoop the flesh from the skins and place into a food processor or high-speed blender. Process until smooth and creamy. You may have to do this in batches depending on how many pumpkins you roast. If your processor gets stuck, dribble a spoonful of water in to help lubricate; scrape down the sides as needed.
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It's muffin time.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F if your oven has been off.
6. Line a muffin tin with parchment cups or grease with a dab of oil.
7. Combine flax meal and water in a small dish. Allow to sit for five minutes to create flax eggs.
8. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients except for chocolate chips.
9. In a separate bowl, combine flax mixture and other wet ingredients plus 1 cup of pumpkin purée.
10. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until *just* combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
11. Scoop portions into muffin tins and press additional chips on top (optional).
12. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
13. Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge for up to one week.
Related: Vegan Pumpkin Apple Oatmeal 2 Ways
Vegan Dark Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
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Photos: Mary Hood Luttrell
