If your kids are anything like mine, its a struggle to get enough vegetables into them... and keep baked goods out.
Sometimes I just don't want to fight about it anymore, so I trick them with compromise with a vegetable muffin made with whole grains.
This recipe uses acorn squash, but any would work, including canned pumpkin (just make sure its plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!) I use my electric pressure cooker to cook the squash and end up with about 3 cups of mash. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can microwave the squash & water until soft (about 10 minutes, give or take depending on your microwave).
You can use 1 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices if you have it handy.
These savory muffins are a great breakfast on the go, school snack, or even dinner side dish. If you prefer a sweeter muffin you can double, or even triple the sugar.
Squash Muffins
Makes 48 mini muffins or 24 regular sized
1 acorn squash
3/4 cup water
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup quick oats
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
Peel and chop the squash into chunks, being sure to remove seeds and pulp. Cook squash and water in an electric pressure cooker for 8 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, combine applesauce, oil, eggs, & sugar.
When squash is done, quick release the steam, and mash. (Do not drain any of the water out.)
Pour your apple-oil-eggs-sugar, into the bowl with flour. Add the mashed squash (should be approx 3 cups) into the flour. Mix until all the flour is wet.
Spoon into muffin tin. Bake until an inserted toothpick should come out clean: 13-16 minutes for minis, 18-25 minutes for regular size muffins.
