Description
Moist, spiced pumpkin muffins made with whole wheat pastry flour, featuring a surprise Nutella center and a delicious crumb topping. The perfect fall treat for breakfast, snacking, or dessert!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Muffins:
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour* (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/4 cup milk of your choice (unsweetened vanilla almond milk used in original), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- Heaping 1/3 cup Nutella (hazelnut spread)
For the Crumb Topping:
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
1. Prepare:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Make the Crumb Topping:
- In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/4 cup flour.
- Add the cold cubed butter. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse peas. Set aside.
3. Make the Muffin Batter:
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger until well combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup brown sugar, maple syrup, and room-temperature eggs until combined. Whisk in the melted (and slightly cooled) coconut oil, room-temperature milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin purée.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Assemble and Bake Muffins:
- Fill Muffin Cups: Spoon muffin batter into the prepared liners, filling each cup about 3/4 full using a large cookie scoop or measuring cup.
- Add Nutella: Drop about 1-2 teaspoons of Nutella into the center of the batter in each muffin cup. Use a toothpick or the tip of the spoon to gently press it down slightly into the batter (it doesn’t need to be fully submerged or swirled extensively).
- Add Crumb Topping: Sprinkle the prepared crumb topping evenly over the batter in each muffin cup.
- Bake: Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the muffins are set, the edges are lightly golden brown, and a wooden toothpick inserted into the cake part (avoiding the Nutella center) comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour yields a tenderer crumb than regular whole wheat. All-purpose flour can be substituted 1:1.
- Pumpkin Puree: Ensure you use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room-temperature eggs and milk helps the batter mix evenly.
- Nutella: Drop spoonfuls into the center; it will sink slightly as it bakes.
- Crumb Topping: Use cold butter cut into small pieces for the best crumbly texture.
- Do Not Overmix: Mix the batter just until combined to keep the muffins tender.
- Storage: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.