HAPPY AUTUMN!!!
Now that it’s officially fall, I can start posting pumpkin recipes with reckless abandon ;).
Last fall – in the foodie blogosphere – was the year of homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes; you know, the seasonal Starbucks beverage that clocks in at 200 calories and 37 grams of sugar for a tall (12 oz) latte made with skim milk and served without whipped cream. Order a grande (16 oz) with 2% milk and whipped cream, and you’ll be set back 380 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 49 grams of sugar.
Yikes.
No wonder food bloggers everywhere offered up their own healthier versions.
To be honest, I was never a huge fan of the pricey, over-sweetened, slightly artificial-tasting original, but I did find a few blogger “knock-offs” that were just a tad sweet and actually tasted like pumpkin.
Here’s my recipe for an Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte.
{There will be many of these made over the next few weeks, until the temperature drops… at which point I’ll switch over to a hot homemade version!}
Anyway… I have a premonition that this fall will be the year of pumpkin spice latte-inspired recipes. The first I encountered was one for cupcakes over on Annie’s Eats. For those of you not familiar with Annie’s blog, let me be the first to tell you that she is über-talented at cupcake (and cookie… and cake… and everything pastry) decorating. Head on over to check out her beautiful cupcakes, complete with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle.
Now, although I enjoy a delicious cupcake as much as the next person, I very rarely make them at home because a) I would be the only one eating them as John isn’t a big dessert person [= dangerous], b) I am pretty terrible at piping frosting, and c) there is typically a ton of sugar in ‘em [see a) above].
The clear line of logic, then, was to morph those gorgeous cupcakes into (less pretty but more healthful) muffins.
I subbed in whole wheat pastry flour, cut down on the sugar, and swapped in unsweetened applesauce for some of the oil.
I also baked brewed coffee (well, decaf) right into the muffins rather than brushing it on top after baking.
Finally, I omitted the whipped cream and caramel finishing touches and instead created a cinnamon-espresso streusel to give the muffins some extra oomph.
With these muffins baking in the oven, your nose will convince you that you’re standing right between a bakery and coffee shop.
The sugary fragrance of warmly spiced baked goods intermingled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is so intoxicating that I wish I could bottle it and spray it on as perfume.
Or at least infuse a candle with it.
As with the aroma, the flavor of these muffins beautifully marries together pumpkin spice and espresso. The soft and tender muffins are delicious enough on their own, but the cinnamon-espresso streusel pushes them over the top.
This is juuuuuust the beginning of the copious amount of pumpkin recipes I have stockpiled in my drafts folder.
I hope you’re ready!
Pumpkin Spice Latte Streusel Muffins
Printer-Friendly Recipe
adapted from Annie’s Eats‘ Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 Tbsp espresso powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup unrefined granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup room-temperature brewed strong coffee or espresso
Cinnamon-Espresso Streusel:
- 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp Turbinado sugar
- 2 Tbsp rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, (or in a large bowl, using an electric mixer), beat together the pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, and canola oil, scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the brewed coffee (or espresso). With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in 2 batches, slowly beating just until incorporated.
- Using a spring-loaded ice cream scoop or a large spoon, fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the streusel topping (flour, brown sugar, Turbinado sugar, oats, cinnamon, espresso powder). Add in the canola oil and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Evenly divide the streusel topping over the top of the muffins.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Place muffin tin on a wire rack and let muffins cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove muffins from tin and cool completely.
Nutritional Information Per Muffin:
162.1 calories, 5.8 grams fat, 0.6 grams saturated fat, 3.1 grams fiber, 13.3 grams sugars, 3.1 grams protein
You could eat 2 of these muffins + 1 of my Iced Pumpkin Spice Lattes and still consume less calories and fat – not to mention 1/3 less sugar – than 1 “regular”(16 oz with 2% milk and whipped cream) Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks.
Which would you rather have? 2 + 1 > 1. Basic math, friends.
Now go get busy in the kitchen!
