For me, it’s pretty much Fall. All you haters who kept telling me August is a Summer month, I don’t care. And all you other haters who keep telling me Fall doesn’t start until September 22 I will have you know the first day of meteorological fall started September 1. And, I saw real pumpkins for sale on the side of the road today! I am pregnant and it’s freaking hot outside. So, I decorated for Fall mid-August in hopes of bringing the cooler weather in PDQ (pretty darn quick). I am also making pumpkin things. With the release of Starbucks PSL I decided to make these amazingly healthy, but delicious tasting, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with a Salted Caramel Glaze. Enjoy!
Muffin Ingredients (Yields 15 muffins)
- 2 Cups Kodiak Power Cakes, Buttermilk Variety
- 1 and ¼ cups Vanilla, Unsweetened Almond Milk
- ¼ cup Plain, Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
- 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin (plain, canned pumpkin, NOT the pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- ¼ cup Splenda or Stevia (if you choose not to do the Salted Caramel Glaze you may want to use another ¼ cup to make muffins sweeter)
- 1 tsp Allspice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- ½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Muffin Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together all dry ingredients except chocolate chips.
- Mix together all wet ingredients.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together thoroughly.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Line a muffin cup pan with liners or spray each muffin cup.
- Scoop an even amount of batter into the muffin cups.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.
- Let muffins cool.
Salted Caramel Glaze (Yields about 1.25 Cups)
Ingredients
- 1 Cup White, Granulated Sugar
- 6 Tablespoons Organic, Salted Butter
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Sea Salt (If you like your salted caramel even saltier I would add more salt. I like mine pretty salty and this was not quite salty enough for my tastes, but I know not everyone is like me so I left it at 1 tsp.)
Glaze Directions
*Note: This caramel is a great gift giving idea around this time of year. You can thank me later for that idea. 😊
- Heat sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. You will need to stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
- Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Stir constantly so you do not burn the sugar!
- Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. When you add the butter the caramel will bubble so be careful!
- Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes. You can use a whisk if the butter is separating from the sugar.
- Slowly, very slowly, pour in 1/2 cup of heavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will bubble and could splatter during this step.
- Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise as it boils.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Allow to cool slightly before drizzling on muffins so it sticks to muffins instead of falling completely off the sides.
- Over each muffin drizzle 2 tsp of caramel and ENJOY!
Macros Per Muffin
Protein: 4.56 g
Carbs: 17 g
Fats: 2.86 g
Macros per 2 tsp of Glaze
Protein: 0 g
Carbs: 6.7 g
Fats: 4 g