There’s something incredibly special about the change of season. I get that many people love summer, but I’m definitely more of a fall person. The leaves change, the weather gets cooler, the holiday season approaches and Halloween festivities ensue — not to mention Thanksgiving, sweaters, football, hiking and fall baking.
Ah yes, fall baking — pumpkins, apples and cinnamon galore. There is perhaps nothing more basic but also nothing more exciting and warming than these three fall baking essentials. Don’t get me wrong, I personally love these flavors and could eat them year round. But in the coming weeks, I am sure you will be seeing your fair share of cinnamon rolls, apple cider donuts and pumpkin spice lattes.
Needless to say, pumpkin spice can quickly get overhyped, so I’m introducing these Nutella pumpkin muffins before you even have the chance to get tired of this seasonal speciality. And did I mention Nutella?
This recipe was inspired by Sweet and Simple Kitchen — a food blog that I have been using as baking inspiration for years because I’ve always loved the outcomes of their recipes. This recipe has since been slightly modified by me.
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Nutella
Preparation:
First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then line either giant or regular-sized muffin tins with muffin liners — be sure to grease these with either cooking spray or butter. I prefer to use coconut oil spray or ghee oil spray — healthier alternatives to vegetable oil because of their healthy fats and sustainability. This recipe will yield around six giant muffins or 12 average-sized muffins.
In a large bowl, combine together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. Use a spatula to gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until it just comes together, but no flour is left unmixed. The batter shouldn’t be firm like cookie dough, as it will need to pour easily into the muffin tin.
Fill the liners halfway with batter. Proceed to make a small hole in the center of the muffin batter using a spoon and drop a generous spoonful of Nutella into the hole. Fill the rest of the liner with batter. Then, melt some Nutella in the microwave until it becomes easy to drizzle, and pour over the top of each muffin.
Place the muffin tin in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out relatively clean — with the exception of melted Nutella possibly sticking to the toothpick. However, there should be no remnants of the pumpkin batter. Set your muffins on a rack to cool for a couple minutes and then enjoy!
If you make these muffins and enjoy them as much as I did, be sure to tag @del_iz_cious and @cavalierdaily on Instagram so we can see your creations. I hope these make you feel as festive and cozy on the inside as they do for me!
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