Do you ever have those moments when you happen upon something that is too good not to share? OK, that is me today with these muffins. Oh. My. Goodness.

Healthier Pumpkin Muffins

I have made a few meals this week that didn’t exactly go over well with my kiddos. Oh, well. Win some, lose some, right? I will note these disasters results in my meal planning binder and move on. But, I felt the need to redeem myself, and I really was due for a win.

I had picked up a box of pumpkin quick bread mix at the grocery store earlier this week, and it also happens that I had a 1/2 can of pumpkin I needed to use. I’ve done a version of these with cake mixes with great success, so this morning I was inspired to try it out with a quick bread mix. The pumpkin takes the place of the eggs and oil that the box mix calls for. I love it when I can successfully convert a recipe into a healthier version that is seriously delicious. Like I said, these were too good not to share! (Share the recipe, I mean. There are no muffins left. 🙂 Here’s my recipe:

Simple, Healthier Pumpkin Muffins

          • 1 box pumpkin quick bread mix
          • 8 oz. canned pumpkin
          • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
          • 1 cup water (or milk)
          • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
          • 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Line 12 muffin cups with liners and give each one a squirt of non-stick spray. Stir all ingredients together until well mixed, then scoop into muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on wire rack,

Just before popping them into the oven, I decided to toss on a few chocolate chips for the children and walnuts for my husband and me, but his is totally optional. (I probably only used 2 T. nuts and 2 T. chocolate chips on ours.) I’m sure you could add as much as a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or nuts to the batter, but just dropping a few across the muffin tops seemed to give us a little taste of it without adding a whole lot of extra fat and calories. Plus, it just looks pretty!

These were so simple and healthy that I will be glad to add these to our breakfast line-up, even for school days! I think I will try using the canned pumpkin with a cinnamon or blueberry quick bread mix next time. Mmmm, can’t wait!

Enjoy!