I feel like I say this every year, so here’s to tradition: It’s really hard to get into the fall spirit when you’re still sweating, sticking to the leather seats in your car, and wearing tank tops and flip flops. And there’s a very good reason why I say this every year, because… #Florida.
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I’ve told Dustin too many times over the past 14 years of marriage that I’m not made for this beach day climate. I need seasons in my life. I need boots and cozy sweaters and leaves that fall to the ground due to seasons and not hurricanes in October! Hear me out, Florida is great (for vacationing and retiring, lol), but come October and November, when everyone on Instagram posts photos of pumpkin spice baked goods and apple picking in cozy flannels and Hunter boots, it’s really hard to not be a tiny bit envious.
Now, I must admit, I’ve only ever lived in Florida (well, except for the few years I spent living in Ghana, West Africa which also happens to be very close to the Equator), so I have no idea how to deal with these seasons I envy so much. I’d probably last a week in the chilly temperatures. What’s the saying? The grass is always greener?
I know, contentment!
Regardless of our current weather situation, I’ve decided enough is enough. It’s time to share some recipes that feel like the weather outside is a crisp 65, instead of 95. I can’t think of anything that says fall quite like pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice has become the very symbol of fall time. Walk down any aisle of the grocery store, and you’ll soon realize that Americans have a full blown obsession with anything and everything with the word pumpkin spice on the label. It’s out of control. So, let’s start with pumpkin spice muffins.
Next week, we’ll start venturing into the non-pumpkin spice flavors of fall: beef stew, einkorn biscuits, and a few real food recipes for your Thanksgiving table (green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and the BEST Instant Pot mashed potatoes).
Just like with the banana muffins shared earlier this week, today’s muffin recipe is made with einkorn flour. The recipes are very similar (a good master recipe is incredibly valuable), with just a tweak to the flavor base: one made with ripe bananas and the other with pumpkin. If you don’t have any pumpkin, I bet mashed butternut squash or sweet potatoes would also be lovely in this recipe, and both would pair well with the pumpkin spice seasoning.
The muffins aren’t super sweet. I prefer to keep my muffins this way if they’re going to be used as breakfast during the weekday. I’m not anti-sugar or anti-sweets, but I also don’t believe we need to add as much sugar to our baked goods if they’re being used to fuel us up first thing in the morning. Now, a treat, that’s a different story. But for a daily breakfast, I’d prefer to keep the added sugar to a well balanced amount. Even without the overly sweet flavor, my kids still love these muffins. They’ve been making a regular appearance in their lunchbox and also at breakfast (paired with eggs usually).
Before we make the muffins, let’s talk real quick about einkorn. Now, if you’ve been hanging with me here on Live Simply for a while, then you know all about einkorn. If you’re new, you may be wondering what exactly einkorn is. It’s a question many people ask because einkorn isn’t a very well-known grain, at least not in our day. Years ago, einkorn was popular.
Why make muffins with einkorn flour?
This is a question I like to address every time an einkorn recipe is shared, because einkorn is not a common ingredient in today’s world. I hope to change that in your kitchen, by sharing more einkorn recipes.
For me, einkorn has been a game-changer in the way I bake and also my ability to consume gluten-based goods. (Sourdough and ancient grains, one being a method and the other an ingredient, are easier to digest and a great option for people who are sensitive to gluten–not for someone with celiac disease.) In a day when gluten is feared, I think it’s important to reconsider the use of ancient grains and also ancient methods, like souring and sprouting.
Einkorn is known as the oldest variety of wheat making it an “ancient” grain. The ancient grain is believed to have originated in the Tigris-Euphrates region and is possibly the main grain referenced in the earliest accounts of the Bible. Einkorn is said to be the wheat men were eating in the earliest days before modern day wheat varieties. While modern wheat has undergone hybridization, einkorn still holds true to its original properties. Einkorn is slowly gaining popularity, but it’s still grown in only a few regions in Europe. This means many people, including myself just a few years ago, don’t know about this wonderful grain.
Einkorn is my favorite flour to work with when making traditional, flour-based baked goods. The sweet, ancient grain has a lighter texture and taste than modern day wheat, and contains a more favorable gluten ratio.
Einkorn Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Ingredients
- 8 TB unsalted butter melted*
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (228g)
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose einkorn flour sifted (222g)*
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Special Equipment:
- large bowl
- medium bowl for sifting the einkorn flour
- sieve for sifting the einkorn flour
- muffin pan
- muffin liners
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease or line a muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together: melted butter, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract.
- Add the sifted einkorn flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Don't over-mix the batter. Just stir until the ingredients are combined.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin pan (it will be thick). I use an ice cream scooper.
- Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes, until firm on top. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before enjoying.
- For storage, I keep the muffins in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze well.
Notes
Nutrition
This was super simple to make and came out really tasty! I added chocolate chips to l’amine and used honey as the sweetener. Thanks for the recipe!
Yum, Katie! Love that addition. So glad you enjoyed the muffins.
I made these and added choc chips. Sooo good! The whole family loved them. Thanks so much
Yay, Brenda! So glad you enjoyed the muffins.
I am looking for a sweet potato muffin/bread recipe can I use the pumpkin muffin recipe and replace with sweet potato? I want to replace eggs with applesauce. Let me know, new to
Einkorn but love it
Hey Pam, I think you could replace the pumpkin with mashed sweet potato in this recipe. Not sure about using applesauce instead of eggs. If you’ve had good success with the past, I’d go for it. If not, maybe try making a flax egg to replace the eggs: https://cookieandkate.com/flax-egg-recipe/
Hi Kristin
I won’t be using butter in this pumpkin muffin recipe.
Could you please advice me the best equivalent in the form of applesauce or greek yogurt. Thanks.
Hey Mona, Oil will be the best option in that case. You can use the same amount, I believe, although I haven’t tested this option.
These were absolutely delicious!!
I used fresh milled Einkorn and cut the syrup done 1/4 cup and added 1/4 Cup chocolate chips.
Hey Sandra, That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing–love your substitutions.
I was wondering about making this with fresh milled einkorn. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Kathy, I think freshly milled einkorn will work. I would stick with the weight measurement.
Just wanted to update on my attempt to make it sourdough. I mixed a 1/2 cup of starter with 3/4 cup of flour with maybe a 1/4 cup of raw milk. After letting it ferment overnight I mixed all other ingredients then mixed it into the batter. The batter was A LOT thinner than the original recipe but I went ahead and baked them anyway for about 25 min and they were very good! Super moist and not dense at all. However, next time I’m going to up the flour and maybe reduce the pumpkin a bit.
That’s awesome, Loni! Thank you for sharing!
These have been my go-to pumpkin muffins for a while. Now, I’m trying to convert this recipe to a long fermented sourdough pumpkin muffin recipe. Im thinking I’ll reduce the flour to only 3/4 cup and maybe eyeball the pumpkin purée. Wish me luck.
So happy to hear that, Loni!
Wow, these were so good! I’m thrilled with how amazing something so healthy is!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you so much for sharing and reviewing–means so much!
I tried these and they were delicious! Thank you!
So happy you loved them, Aleida!
LS Team
Delicious. Moist tasty used honey for the sweetener. Used cream cheese and honey for frosting loved it
YAY! Thanks for sharing, Sandee!
LS Team
These were delicious and very easy to make. I love how they are low sugar (not fake sugar). As a reference, my daughter just made some of her own pumpkin muffins with regular flour (ATK recipe) and the sugar was almost the same amount as the flour! These are the perfect sweetness allowing you to taste the pumpkin and the spices. thank you!
Hey Steve, Thank you, So glad you enjoyed them!
Delicious and toddler approved!
We made these tonight and they are fantastic. I have used einkorn in a muffin recipe before and they turned out dry. These were moist and delicious. Thanks Kristin!
Thank you so much, Becky! Glad they turned out well!
LS Team.
I forgot to rate the recipe, five stars!
Thank you so much for the rating, Teresa! It really means a lot to LS.
I made these for my grandson as a healthy snack. I added finely chopped walnuts and a handful of flaxseed. Also, I used virgin coconut oil due to my grandson’s dairy allergy. I used maple syrup as it is healthier than honey. At first bite, I thought “these aren’t sweet enough”, but the sweetness comes out with the second bite. This is a great recipe! I’m a big believer in Einkorn flour!
Hi Teresa, I’m so happy you loved them! Thanks for commenting.
I rarely rate recipes, but these definitely need more press! I’ve semi-accidently eaten three, today, and they’ll become a regular part of our breakfast rotation! Thanks so much for creating/ sharing!
Alyssa, I’m honored! Thank you so much for rating the recipe. I’m so glad you’re loving the muffins.
Hi Kristin,
oh actually the recipe, ease, finished appearance, taste, etc I would give a 5. Didn’t mean anything by less star. I guess sometimes I get used to 8 of 9,etc..I also loved your pumpkin eincorn scones. I guess only thing you might note briefly in parenthesis, would be that you can combine flours like einkorn, part spelt or etc. I did 1 1/4 C einkorn and 2/4 spelt. I thought they couls use a punch up, so I added the dried cranberries and chopped pecans. They could also add raisins, golden raisins.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Joanne! So helpful. SO glad you’re loving the pumpkin einkorn recipes.
These are light, fluffy and you can’t go wrong with einkorn anything! I’ve been using it this year, sometimes I use half with spelt to extend einkorn, which is a little more expense. Einkorn is also naturally a sweeter grain so honey (no sugar) makes more healthy too. I added some cranberries, pecans this time. Thank you for adding to my einkorn recipes.
Hey Joanne, I’m so glad you loved the muffins! What do you think would have made them 5 stars? Always looking for good feedback for future recipe development.
How to use whole wheat einkorn flour in recipe?
Hey Michelle, I haven’t tried making these with whole wheat einkorn flour. I’m sure you can. I recommend reducing the flour by 1/4 cup if using whole wheat flour.
Love these muffins! Perfectly sweetened naturally.
Yay, Chardea. I’m so glad you’re loving the muffins.
Can you use some other kind of flour, maybe almond or coconut?
Hey Monica, For these, you could use all-purpose flour or spelt flour. For the spelt, you’ll probably need to reduce the amount of flour slightly. Almond and coconut flour act very different than gluten-based grains, or even something like oat flour. So you would need to tailor the recipe specifically to these flours. I do have this almond and coconut flour pumpkin bread recipe: https://livesimply.me/2014/11/03/ultimate-fall-baking-use-almond-flour-pumpkin-bread/
How much less spelt flour would you suggest? Einkorn isn’t available here where I live in Canada
Hey Candee, This is a complete guess, but I would try 1/8-1/4 cup less. You can always increase it if the batter doesn’t look quite right.
Thanks!
Just saw your comment and you can buy Einkorn at Choices Market Abbotsford, BC Canada.
Thank you for sharing, Val! I know that will be really helpful for people.