I’m not ready for December. You see, my Christmas spirit isn’t intact. My only decoration is this wreath. My only form of celebrating is brewing a cinnamon stick with my coffee. I tried to listen to the She & Him Christmas album and it made me feel weird. I had to switch to Tegan and Sara. Jeez, you guys! What’s a girl to do?
I guess, I’ll just keep thinking it’s fall until February! I’m going to keep baking pumpkin in all the things! I’m going to focus on everything else. And it’s a good thing I’m in denial about the holidays because you better believe these muffins just might be my most favorite muffin ever. These taste JUST like a pumpkin donut. It’s the truth! And I’ve been craving a pumpkin donut in a real way.
So bake these for your donut-craving self! And please, help a sister out about how to be excited about Christmas. I’m just not sure I can muster it this year.
Malted Pumpkin Mini Muffins (makes 12-14 muffins)
Recipe adapted from here and inspired from here
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup malt powder
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 heaping T granulated sugar
- 1 t baking soda
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t nutmeg
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t allspice
- pinch of cloves
- scant 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup honey + water mixed*
* Pour honey halfway up the side of your 1/3 cup measuring cup and then top off with water.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with parchment squares or liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, malt powder, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, honey and water.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until mixed thoroughly, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
- Divide the dough between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pans for about 20 minutes before loosening around the edges with knife and inverting on a cooling rack. Serve warm topped with glaze.
Malted Brown Butter Icing
Recipe adapted from here
- 3 T butter
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 t vanilla extract
- 2 T malt powder
- 3-4 T milk
Directions:
- Make glaze by melting butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat until 4-5 minutes, or until browned. Pour over confectioners’ sugar. Whisk the vanilla and malt powder into milk until smooth and stir as much as you need into the sugar mixture. Add more milk or sugar until reaching your desired glazey consistency. Spoon over muffins. Sprinkle with additional malt powder.
Yay! Click HERE for a printable pdf of the recipes above.
My mom and I pocketboothed it up over Thanksgiving.
Hi Megabite-
I had an icky breakup a few years ago, and I just couldn’t get excited for Christmas that year. It was just too much, we had our traditions, and I didn’t want to do them by myself, and I was sad and couldn’t muster the spirit to celebrate with other people either. I finally just gave myself permission to let that year go! I got my dog a cute collar and just kept my head down the rest of the time- don’t put pressure on yourself if you’re just not feeling it!
Yeah, Kelsey, you totally get it! Time to get my pup a new collar and live my life! <3!
Such a creative spin on pumpkin muffins! Love it! As for getting into the holiday spirit, I think decorations are a must. And watching A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Thanks girl! And good plan.
These look AMAZING and delicious! I’ve been on a serious pumpkin kick this fall. Also: love the pocketbooth photos of you and your mom. Adorable!
brown butta 4 lyfe!
I’ve been sewing five million yards of christmas bunting these last few days…I guess between my holiday crazy and your holiday apathy, there’s probably balanced holiday person in there somewhere…maybe. At least the holidays means more cookies!
I feel you on not being able to get it up for Christmas. I’ve had (am having…) a rough year myself, and I just… can’t… get on the holiday treadmill. Blergh.
Anyway, you are wonderful, these muffins are wonderful and, as a girl who would sprinkle malt powder on her breakfast cereal without shame, I say more malt! More pumpkin muffins! More happy things! (Thank you for this awesome recipe, I can’t wait to give it a try)
These were delicious! Stumbled across them, and your blog, thru that sweet, pocketboothed mom of yours. The brown butter was truly the icing on the cake. Yummy! Thank you for sharing your recipe.