Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

I grew up with “pampoenkoekies" - pumpkin fritters sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. These muffins remind me of pumpkin fritters, synonymous with homey comfort. I love making these for my girls (and myself). Delicious, nutritiousness that can be packed to-go or eaten with one hand (anyone who has ever had children will understand). The ingredient list seems long, but trust me, it is worth it.

For little people, you can make these without the crumble topping and vanilla glaze (which makes them refined sugar free). However, for special occasions, the sweet, crumbly oat topping (with or without the vanilla glaze) is simply sensational. I steam cubed pumpkin or butternut until soft, then allow it to cool before using it in this recipe. Whole roasted pumpkin, butternut or orange kumara works well too (flesh scooped out once cooked). For dairy-free muffins, use coconut oil and your preferred plant-based milk for the vanilla glaze (if using). I like using spelt flour, but you can use plain flour or a gluten-free flour blend instead. The spicing of these muffins is subtle, so feel free to increase it to your liking (or skip the different spices and use 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon instead). See the how-to video here: Alana Smith (@alanasmithsweetphotography) • Instagram photos and videos

Makes 12 standard size muffins

SPICED PUMPKIN MUFFIN BATTER

cooked and cooled pumpkin, 425g (about 500ml or 2 cups)

eggs, 3

maple syrup, 150g (125ml or 1/2 cup)

unsalted butter, 100g

rolled (fine textured) oats, 50g (125ml or 1/2 cup)

ground almonds/almond flour, 100g (250ml or 1 cup)

spelt flour (or plain/cake/all-purpose flour), 150g (250ml or 1 cup)

bicarbonate of soda/baking soda, 5ml (1 teaspoon)

baking powder, 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon)

ground cinnamon, 5ml (1 teaspoon)

ground mixed spice, 5ml (1 teaspoon)

ground ginger, 2.5ml (1 teaspoon)

OATY CINNAMON CRUMBLE TOPPING

unsalted butter, 25g (just under 2 tablespoons)

brown sugar, 55g (60ml or 1/4 cup)

ground almonds/almond flour, 25g (60ml or 1/4 cup)

spelt flour (or plain/cake/all-purpose flour), 20g (30ml or 2 tablespoons)

ground cinnamon, 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon)

pumpkin seeds (pepitas), 35g (60ml or 1/4 cup)

oats (rolled or wholegrain), 25g (60ml or 1/4 cup)

fine salt, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)

VANILLA GLAZE

icing sugar, about 80g (125ml or 1/2 cup)

milk, about 15ml (1 tablespoon)

vanilla (extract or paste), 5ml (1 teaspoon)

To start, preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a 12-hole standard size muffin tin with baking cups (or grease well with butter).

For the muffin batter, place the cooked (and cooled) pumpkin, eggs and maple syrup in a blender (or food processor fitted with a blade attachment).

Melt the butter then add it to the blender along with the oats. Blend for a minute or two until smooth.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining muffin batter ingredients.

Gently fold together until just combined and uniform (the batter is fairly stiff).

Divide the mixture among the baking cups (about 2/3 full).

For the crumble topping, if your butter is hard out of the fridge, soften it for a couple of seconds in a medium heat-proof bowl (short bursts in the microwave) until soft (but preferably not melted).

Add the remaining ingredients and mix together until clumpy.

Divide the crumble mixture among the baking cups, topping each muffin batter amount with about a tablespoon of the crumble mixture.

Bake the muffins for approximately 30 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean).

Remove from the oven and cool before glazing (if using).

For the vanilla glaze, mix together all the ingredients (you can adjust the consistency with more icing sugar or more milk) until you have a slow running mixture.

Drizzle each muffin with the glaze.

Store at room temperature for about a week or freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.