Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Remember these Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins?  I had some pumpkin thawed out that I needed to use so I put it in this recipe in place of the applesauce and then substituted pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon. It was delicious! A bonus for those families with allergies is that they are egg and diary free. 

I'm sure any mashed winter squash such as acorn or butternut would be fine in these muffins. You could even used mashed sweet potatoes. They all have a similar texture to applesauce so they work similarly in recipes. Depending on how moist your pumpkin or squash puree is, you may need to add  a Tablespoon or two of additional water to the batter before spooning it into muffin pans. You'll know if the batter seems too thick.

I will definitely be making up some pantry mixes of this versatile recipe! In my mixes, I will just put cinnamon in as the spice, knowing I can add a little nutmeg if I end up using pumpkin or squash instead of  applesauce. Muffins freeze well so don't hesitate to make a double or triple batch. When I am baking multiple batches of muffins, I re-spray my muffin tins between batches, but I don't wash them until all the muffins are baked. It saves quite a bit of time in the kitchen to do it this way.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup water

½ cup applesauce

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt         

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp oil (optional)

Soak the oats in the water for 10-15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fill muffin cups ⅔ full. Bake at 400° F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you choose to leave the oil out, the muffins just won't brown as nicely. They will still taste great.