Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins

I spent a (very) short span of life as a card-carrying vegan. One of the things I wanted to conquer during this time was baking sans dairy and eggs. I was usually unsuccessful. But when there were victories, they usually came from the pages of Veganomicon, the revered cookbook for all things vegan. These muffins are an adaptation from a similar recipe for applesauce muffins from that cookbook. I made them about a million times in a 6-month period.

Start by combining almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit for a minute. Then, add applesauce, pumpkin, canola oil, and packed brown sugar. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl (or—if you avoid extra dishes like the plague as I am wont to do—the same bowl), sift together whole wheat pastry flour, ed wheat bran (oat bran works too, but I like the color and flavor red wheat bran contribute), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (or if you’re part of the aforementioned lazy club, just stir). Fold in raisins (golden, regular, or get crazy and throw in some dried cranberries!).

Spoon into a muffin tin. Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Then, working as quickly as you can, like your life depends on it, sprinkle raw pumpkin seeds on top of the semi-baked muffins. Adding them 10 minutes in ensures that they don’t sink down into the batter and burn. Once you’ve sufficiently pumpkin-seeded the tops of your muffins, pop them back into the oven at 350ºF for another 15-20 minutes.

These are great plain or with butter but they’re out-of-this-world amazing when spread with the pure love that is pumpkin butter. I’m especially a fan of the pecan pumpkin butter from Williams Sonoma—a fall indulgence!