Pumpkin Muffins

Fall is here!  (Well, kind of - it is still in the 100's in my neck of the woods).

How do I know Fall is here?  Because Starbucks has their Pumpkin Bread again.

Which is a couple of dollars per slice.

The mix I use for my knock-off version is around $3.00 per box and makes approximately 12 servings.

My son LOVES the Starbucks Pumpkin Bread.  I don't love the price.  Or the fat.  A few years back, I had to cut fat from my diet (Settle down.  I am talking about saturated fat; not the "good" types of fat).  Around that time, I came up with a ton of alternatives for myself by searching the web and playing with recipes.  This is one of them.

It is super simple.

The best part is it only requires 4 ingredients.

1. (1) Package of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix
2. 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters
3. 1/2 cup of Apple Sauce (I used unsweetened, but I bet Apple Cinnamon flavor would be great)
4. (1) cup of Water

Seriously.  This is all you will need to make a knock-off, lower-fat version of Starbucks Pumpkin Bread.

 

 Let's get started:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Prep your pan.

I purchased this pan a few years ago from Williams-Sonoma.

I went to find the pan I have on their website and they now have a loaf pan I really want to get, too.

By the way, when I first started making this Pumpkin Bread/Muffin recipe, I originally used the Williams-Sonoma Spiced Pecan Pumpkin Quick Bread Mix (shown above), but at around $12.00 per bag of mix, there is no way I could justify making it that often.  Also, the Trader Joe's version tastes almost as good.

 Now for the fun stuff....

Add 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters to your mixing Bowl.

Next, add 1/2 cup of Apple Sauce.

 Then, add (1) cup of water and Pumpkin Bread Mix.

Attach the bowl to your mixer.

I used my Kitchen Aid Mixer with the Flat Beater attachment.

Mix until blended well.

 Scoop into muffin or loaf pan.

(I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup to ensure the muffins would be uniform in size).

Place in oven.

 I baked mine for approximately 22 minutes.

Then, let cool for about 15 minutes.

Voila!

Another view.

Perfect Pumpkin Muffins.

These are great for class parties, after school snacks or as a special lunch box treat.

 Disclaimer:  My 8 year-old son ate 5 of these before I could put them up.

Good thing I have another box.  :)