Pregnancy-Perfect Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

CulinaryCravings BLOG Taking trips to the farmer’s market, playground and pumpkin patch are some of my favorite things to do with my family this time of year. I was inspired during a recent trip to Duffield’s Farm Market to do some baking and thought it would be a perfect activity for my toddler too. I found a simple recipe for pumpkin muffins and adjusted it to make it a bit healthier for my family. Since these muffins aren’t super sweet and are made with whole wheat flour, they can also be a good anytime snack for a mom-to-be. (I was always looking for healthier options to curb my sweet tooth during my pregnancy!)

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Juice from 1 large orange
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon orange zest
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

Take out a 12-cup muffin pan and muffin liners (you can use seasonal ones for fun!)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line the muffin pan with muffin liners and lightly coat with cooking spray.
Combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small microwave-safe bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a small hole to vent. Microwave until the orange juice is warm, 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on the strength of your microwave.
Set aside to let the cranberries plump, about 5 minutes, then drain off the juice.
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
Whisk together the butter, plumped cranberries, pumpkin puree, milk, eggs and orange zest in a large bowl.
Add the flour-spice mixture to the pumpkin mixture and gently fold the batter together until it has combined (it’s ok if there are a few lumps.)
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups and sprinkle the top of each muffin generously with the turbinado sugar.
Bake until golden brown or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, roughly 20 to 24 minutes.
Cool the muffins in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.