Gingerbread Hemp Seed Muffins

Spice up your muffins with a gingerbread twist!

Guest post by: Anne King, Dominican University Nutrition Student 

Pumpkin and spice is the sweet, fragrant memory that dances through my head when I think of my mother’s homemade muffins. Around the holidays we were never out of muffins. You name it; my mom baked it. As a young girl, I remember sitting in my bedroom attempting to guess what muffins she’d have waiting for us and she never disappointed. The aroma was always warm and inviting.

While I share my mom’s passion for muffin baking, my tradition is to give them a healthy twist. These Gingerbread Hemp Seed Muffins are one of my favorites. I adapted a recipe from Oh She Glows and added whole wheat flour, oats, and hemp seed. Hemp seed is a great source of plant protein, as well as heart-healthy omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, fiber, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and vitamin E. I recommend making a double batch of these Gingerbread Hemp Seed Muffins so you can keep some in the freezer and defrost them in the microwave for thirty seconds (one at a time) until they reach a soft, warm temperature.

Looking for more delicious muffin and quick bread recipes? I recommendsWhole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins and Applesauce Bread. You’ll find them on this blog or download the FREE app Eat Healthy Homemade Meals available from iTunes or Google Play!

Gingerbread Hemp Seed Muffins

12 Servings

 Prep Time = 20 minutes

Cooking Time = 20-25 minutes

Ingredient list:

For the wet ingredients:

• 1 flax egg=1 tablespoon ground flax seeds+3 tablespoons water
• 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons agave syrup or 100% pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

For the dry ingredients:

• 3/4 cup oats
• 1/4 + 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup ground hemp seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with large paper liners.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together flax seeds and water, which will become the “egg”. Set aside for few minutes to thicken.
3. In large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, salt and hemp seeds).
4. In same bowl as flax egg, whisk together wet ingredients (flax egg, pumpkin purée, oil, agave/maple syrup, brown sugar, and molasses) until smooth.
5. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. No patches of flour should remain. Be sure not to over-mix batter. The batter will be quite thick.
6. Divide batter equally between the 12 muffin liners. They should be about 3/4 full.
7. Bake muffins for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool muffins in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, and then transfer each muffin onto a cooling rack until completely cool.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 muffin): Calories 213; 31 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams fat, 5.5 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams fiber, 18 grams sugar, 249 milligrams sodium

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