SUPERFOOD // PUMPKIN:
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
These tender PumpkinCranberry Muffins by Annie Fern from Brain Health Kitchen are the perfect combination of tart and sweet! We love how the cranberries burst when heated creating pockets of jammy fruit throughout the middle.
These muffins also pack in a nice roster of brain- healthy ingredients, from the almond, oat, and flaxseed batter to the sprinkle of pumpkin seeds on top.
Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are a nutritious snack that may have several potential benefits for brain health due to their nutrient content. The magnesium in pumpkin seeds may help reduce stress and anxiety. Chronic stress can have a negative impact on brain health, so managing stress is crucial.
Excerpted from The Brain Health Kitchen by Annie Fenn (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2023
Photographs by Alexandra Grablewski
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup (115 g) oat flour
- 1 cup (115 g) almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 g) canned pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup (115 g) coconut palm sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups (220 g) cranberries, fresh or frozen (don’t defrost)
- ¼ cup (30 g) hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Instructions
- 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- 2 Whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- 3 In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined.
- 4 Gently fold 1⅓ cups (145 g) of the cranberries into the muffin batter. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Divide the remaining ⅔ cup (75 g) cranberries over the tops of the muffins and gently press them into the batter. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.
- 5 Bake for 38 to 45 minutes for standard muffins, or until a tester inserted into several muffins comes out clean.
- 6 These muffins are best the day they are made. Warm day- old muffins in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes. To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
