Pumpkins are considered one of the oldest domesticated plants, dating back 7,000 to 5,500 BC in Mexico. The tough rind of pumpkin allows it to be stored for months in the winter which makes this variety of winter squash extremely versatile. Aside from the flesh, you can eat pumpkin flowers, leaves, sprouts, and seeds! Even the skin is edible when dehydrated and roasted into pumpkin chips!
Pumpkin is also extremely nutrient dense for this low calorie vegetable containing 55% of your daily value of Vitamin A and 12% daily value of vitamin C in just one cup! Carotenoids are another big hit with pumpkin, containing 9994.6 μg per cup. We should get really excited about this value as carotenoids are a diverse group of phytonutrients which reduce the risk of head and neck cancers, support vision health, may protect against metabolic syndrome and diabetes and reduce inflammation. Polyphenols also pack a big punch with pumpkin containing 182.1 mg per cup. Polyphenols help protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative diseases and other oxidative stress related conditions. Polyphenols help to boost the immune system and protect against both chronic and acutes disease. The cell-protective benefit of polyphenols prevents against oxidative damage from free-radicals in the environment.
Consuming pumpkin on a regular basis can help improve gut health due to the richness in polyphenols and carotenoids. Insulin tolerance, cholesterol and blood sugar leveles also benefit. Fortunately for us, there is a wide range of uses for pumpkin and their seeds on a regular basis.
Pumpkin seeds are one of the best natural souces of magnesium which can help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar as well as lower the risk of stroke and heart disease. Pumpkin seeds are rich in antioxidants like pumpkin which can help reduce inflammation and protect cells from damage. Immune benefits of pumpkin seeds includes their high zinc content which boost the immune system. Using pumpkin seeds directly from the pumpkin with thier shells intact helps maintain their high quality fiber.
This recipe was made using carving pumpkins but you could also use pie pumpkin or even acorn squash as long as you go through the process of straining the extra water after roasting. If you are in a pinch, go ahead and use canned pumpkin, you will not miss out on any of the health benefits. If you do not have a dehydrator or do not want to roast your own pumpkin seeds, you can simply buy raw and grind them into a flour.
Although my babies are now 14 and certainly unsheltered from my nourishing bubble of home cooked, grain free foods...I still make a point to prepare some of their favorites. This recipe was born on Cameron and William's 14th birthday! William wanted an ice cream cake and Cameron wanted a huge fruit salad. My husband has celiac disease so I wanted to have an alternative for him. You will see Madelyn and I preparing the muffins with a buttercream frosting in the Instagram video which makes the muffin a cupcake. These muffins are delicious enough on their own to leave unfrosted and easy to pack in lunchboxes. I used a silicone muffin tray for the instagram video but baked another batch later using liners to test it out using my pumpkin surplus! Both worked really well!
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups pumpkin puree (if you use fresh, strain the water out well)
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
6 eggs room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups pumpkin seed flour (4 cups pumpkin seeds, then grind into a flour)
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
*Skip to step 7 if you buy canned pumpkin and raw pumpkin seeds.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash the outer skin of the pumpkin well, then slice the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds to dry in a dehydrator or on a baking sheet.
Roast the pumpkin, open side down on parchment for 35 minutes or until soft (depending on size). Then let cool well.
Dry the seeds in a dehydrator overnight or in the oven on the lowest setting. You could also buy your own.
Scoop the flesh of the pumpkin into a bowl. Working in batches, add to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a fine mesh strainer and allow the liquid to drain from the puree.
Working in batches, grind the pumpkin seeds into a fine flour in your blender. Pour the pumpkin flour into a large bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350F and set two silicone muffin molds on a baking sheet or line with paper liners.
Using a whisk, whisk together the wet ingredients in a large bowl: pumpkin puree, coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients with a spatula until there are no more lumps: pumpkin flour, cacao powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
With your spatula, gently mix dry ingredients into wet to forma a batter. Do not overmix. The batter will b very thick. Fold the chocolate into the batter. Pour the batter into the muffin tin/mold.
Bake for 30 min uncovered. Then cover with parchment for an additional 20 minutes to prevent the muffins from burning. Keep testing with your toothpick at the 40 minute mark as pan size and pumpkin consistency will matter.
Baking at home with the kids always looks a little different than a perfectly laid out recipe. There are rarely two separate bowls for wet and dry ingredients and nothing is measured exact so you will find the instagram video looks different. As a fellow mom chef, I am sure you can appreciate the nuance.
Muffin Strategy
Other ways that you could use this recipe is to include 1-2 scoops of protein powder, add chopped nuts or ground flax seed. Think about making this into bars and taking out the chocolate chips! That would be a PERFECT refuel post workout alongside 30g of protein!
Batch prep this recipe and have freeze the muffins on parchment paper! This makes a super easy add to lunchboxes, pre-practice snacks, afterschool snacks and post workout refuel.
I hope this post inspired you to add pumpkin into your world!! Stay tuned for pumpkin chilli coming your way next week!!
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