Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
Here in Australia, we haven’t quite embraced the “Pumpkin Pie” craze that’s huge in the USA. It’s a classic autumn favorite over there, but for us, it’s a bit of a novelty. I’ve tried a few pumpkin based muffin recipes that call for pureed pumpkin, and I must admit they can be a little too sweet for our Aussie taste buds.
This pumpkin pecan muffin recipe, on the other hand, is just right! It’s not overly sweet, and it’s a sneaky way to get veggies into the kids.😇
We made these muffins at one of our Bake Club meetings years ago, and they quickly became a favourite. The trick is in roasting the pumpkin to bring out its natural sweetness without adding any extra moisture. I roasted the pumpkin the night before while something else was in the oven, then let it cool and stored it in the fridge overnight. Too easy! You could also use your air fryer to cook the pumpkin, which speeds things up.
In the morning, I blitzed the roasted pumpkin in my Thermomix until smooth. I made a double batch for Bake Club that week, using 1.5 kg of pumpkin, which was just the right amount for two rounds of muffins.
Why these Muffins taste so good?
These muffins aren’t your typical sugary sweet American-style treats, so we lke to think of these as Healthy Pumpkin Muffins. Roasting the pumpkin brings out a caramelised, rich flavour that balances perfectly with the crunch of pecans. They make a great morning snack or afternoon treat—and you can feel good about sneaking in some veggies! Of course, if you need to leave the nuts out because they’re going into your child’s school lunch box, I’d replace the nuts with banana chips. That will still give some texture and you can do this weight for weight. 😉
Roasting versus Boiling the Pumpkin (for Muffins)
The key to this recipe is roasting the pumpkin instead of boiling it. Roasting caramelises the natural sugars in the pumpkin, giving it a much richer taste. Boiling adds water, which can make your muffins soggy, which is not ideal for a perfect muffin texture.
You can roast your pumpkin in the oven or use an air fryer to speed things up. Either way, the goal is to soften the pumpkin without it becoming watery. After roasting, allow it to cool completely, then blitz it in your Thermomix or food processor to a smooth puree.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Australia, canned pumpkin isn’t very common, but if you do find it, make sure it’s 100% pure pumpkin with no added sugar or spices. Be mindful to drain it if it’s too watery, as that could affect the muffin texture. I think fresh roasted pumpkin will give you the best flavour and texture for this recipe.
Butternut squash or Jap pumpkins work beautifully in this recipe. They both have a sweet, smooth texture and roast well without turning watery. After roasting, just blitz them into a puree, and you’re good to go.
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, pop them in the fridge, where they’ll last about a week, or freeze them for up to three months. Make sure they’re in a sealed container in the freezer to prevent freezer burn.
You can mix in chocolate chips, walnuts, or dried cranberries to give these muffins an extra twist. Just be careful not to overload the batter with too many extras, as this might throw off the texture and make them heavy.
There are a number of reasons but these two come to mind. Overmixing the batter or using too much moisture in the pumpkin puree. Be sure to roast or air-fry your pumpkin and let it cool to remove excess water. When mixing the batter, stir until just combined to avoid knocking out too much air. Also, check that your baking powder and soda are fresh for optimal rise. Shelf life is real on these products.
Sure, swap out the plain flour for your favourite brand of GF plain flour. And for the streusel topping you may need to look at GF oats. They’re available from health food stores.
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
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becs-table.com.auEquipment
- 1 Thermomix or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
For the muffin
- 700 g fresh pumpkin skin on (you will end up with around 425g pumpkin puree)
- 300 g plain flour
- ½ salt
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- ½ ground cloves
- ½ ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 170 g unsalted butter softened
- 330 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
Streusel Topping
- 90 g pecans
- 70 g oats
- 60 g plain flour
- 75 g dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
Instructions
Conventional Method:
- Preheat oven to 180ºC (fan forced). Line 18 x muffin holes with paper cases.
- If you're using fresh pumpkin to make your puree, scoop out the seeds and cut into wedges about 3cm thick, keeping the skin on. Place pumpkin on a baking tray, or air fryer basket, spray both sides of pumpkin with a little oil. Roast until fork tender. Let the pumpkin cool slightly before scooping from the skin and pureeing in a blender. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate soda and spices and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and sugar on low speed until just combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; continue beating for a few minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add Vanilla Extract and cooled pumpkin puree and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just combined.
- Fill each muffin case 3/4 full.
- Combine the streusel topping ingredients in a bowl then divide evenly topping the muffins. Bake for around 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Thermomix Method:
- Preheat oven to 180ºC (fan forced). Line 18 x muffin holes with paper cases.If you're using fresh pumpkin to make your puree, scoop out the seeds and cut into wedges about 3cm thick, keeping the skin on. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray, or in an air fry basket; spray both sides of the pumpkin with a little oil. Roast until fork tender. Let the pumpkin cool slightly before scooping the flesh from the skin and pureeing. I add it to my TM bowl and puree using blend mode or 5 seconds/speed 6. Set the pumpkin puree aside.
- Step 2: Make the Streusel Topping: Without cleaning the TM (bowl but removing as much puree as you can) Weigh in the 90g of pecans then chop for 2 seconds/speed 5
- Then add the oats, plain flour, dark brown sugar cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cold cubes of unsalted butter.
- Mix this 6 seconds/speed 4 until mixed but still crumbly. set this aside
- Step 3: Prepare the dry mix for the batter: Weigh the plain flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp bicarbonate soda, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp ground nutmeg. Mix this to combine for 5 sec/speed 4 until just combined. Remove this dry mix from the bowl and set aside.
- Step 4: Prepare the Muffin Batter: Add small cubes of unsalted butter and caster sugar to the Thermomix bowl. Mix 20 sec/speed 4. Scrape down the sides. Insert the butterfly whisk: while the blades are running, add the 2 eggs, one at a time through the hole in the lid over 20 sec/speed 3.5 remove the lid, scrape down then continue mixing for another 20 sec/speed 3.5 until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and 425 g cooled pumpkin puree. Mix for a further 10 sec/speed 3, until combined. Remove the butterfly whisk
- Add the dry mix from step 3, back into the TM bowl and mix again to combine, 5 seconds/speed 5, scrape down and repeat if necessary, but don't overmix.
- Step 5: Fill each muffin case 3/4 full.
- Combine the streusel topping ingredients in a bowl then divide evenly topping the muffins. Bake for around 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Want to know more?
If you like pumpkin (and vegetables in general), this recipe for roasted vegetables might interest you.
Or, maybe you’d like to learn how to make Artisan Muffins. This is an online course in which I share a bakery recipe base and give you loads of ideas on how to make your own recipes from that base. There are videos, templates, and an eBook for you. To date, 483 people have joined this online course and given five stars. That’s what we love!
