This recipe for Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins combines pumpkin puree with fall spices and pairs well with a bowl of Texas Chili. A few optional recipe edits are also included to make these vegan - without eggs or dairy and refined sugar free.
A Great Fall Cornbread Recipe
I love having cornbread with chili, so it was no surprise that I was dying to update my gluten free cornbread recipe with a fall-flavored version that contained pumpkin. How basic of me! However this time I wasn't set on making it gluten free, but trying out versions to make it egg-free and dairy-free instead. Unfortunately I never got around to testing gluten free at the moment. If you try it, you'll have to let me know how it goes. Currently as it stands I have a freezer filled with different versions of pumpkin cornbread muffins...I can't stuff anymore in there guys!
Thankfully I loved how both versions turned out. The ones with eggs are a little more light and fluffy while the ones with applesauce are a little more dense and sweet. Both types are incredibly moist and delicious though - my family couldn't pick a favorite.
Are Eggs and Dairy Migraine Triggers?
For those following this particular migraine diet, being dairy free or egg free isn't required. Some find that eliminating dairy helps control their migraine attack days, but typically those people have sensitivities or allergies to dairy. If you don't have a sensitivity or allergy to dairy, feel free to use regular milk as much as you want while following your migraine diet.
The same goes with eggs. Some people find them to trigger migraine attacks, while others can tolerate them well baked into things. My advice is to not worry about eliminating any extras until you can tell what is and isn't working for you. Migraine triggers are extremely personal so don't feel like you have to conform to what others tell you about their own triggers.
Refined Sugar-Free
I'm not a fan of dumping ½ cup to a full cup of sugar in my cornbread like I know many other recipes do. If you use good quality cornmeal it should already have a little sweetness to it anyway. For this recipe, I loved the idea of pairing maple syrup with pumpkin to contribute to highlight the fall flavors a little more.
If you don't have maple syrup you can easily use honey instead. I ended up running out of maple syrup during one of my cornbread muffin testings and both versions came out delicious.
For those making the vegan version, the apple sauce provides a bit more sweetness than the original recipe.
How to Make & Serve
The fantastic thing about cornbread is it's such a simple "bread" recipe to make. Pumpkin cornbread muffins aren't really any different. It truly just contains a few more spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as a can of pumpkin puree.
All the dry ingredients get mixed together and all the wet ingredients are mixed together till you finally combine the two. The batter is then spooned into a paper cup lined muffin tin and put in the oven to bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 23-27 minutes. I find the vegan version needs to cook a little longer than the ones with eggs.
Cornbread muffins are actually my favorite way to bake cornbread because there's no cutting involved. Everything is perfectly portioned for a serving and you can just grab and go whenever you make chili.
It also lends itself to being frozen so much easier than traditional cornbread. I have a big batch of these just waiting in my freezer any night we make this chili. Or this chili. But really, you don't have to eat these with chili. I've had them for an easy and quick breakfast too.
Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 15oz can pumpkin puree, unflavored
- ¾ cup milk*
- 2 large eggs*
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted*
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 ¼ cups cornmeal, medium grind
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12 piece muffin tin with paper cups. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, melted butter, and sweetener of choice. Mix till smooth and combined. (For vegan - combine the pumpkin puree, applesauce, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup.)
- In a medium bowl combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir till combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon until everything is incorporated and smooth.
- Using a ¼ cup scoop, fill the muffin cups to almost the top until evenly dispersed. Bake for 23-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Serve warm or allow to cool at room temperature and place in the freezer to reheat for later use.
Notes
- To make this recipe vegan, dairy-free or egg free:
- Substitute the eggs for ½ cup plain applesauce, no sugar added.
- Substitute the butter for melted coconut oil.
- Use oat milk instead of cow's milk.
- The vegan version is a little more dense than the egg version and won't dome quite as much, but they are still very moist and delicious inside! It will also be slightly sweeter.
- I prefer aluminum-free baking powder for this so you don't taste any kind of metallic flavor, however, you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Store these in the freezer for 2-3 months and defrost them in the oven or microwave for quick serving.
Nutrition
Is Jiffy cornbread mix okay to use? Thank you
This was good. I wouldn't say they were my most favorite muffin recipe, but they were still pretty good and they were a breeze to make! I think I overcooked mine a little because they weren't as moist as I would have liked, and I have learned that I don't like pumpkin quite as much as I thought... But I still ate them and have saved some in my freezer for chili nights! So, nothing wrong with the recipe, just me being a person who isn't the biggest pumpkin lover to eat them all on their own. But dipped in some delicious chili? Yes please.
These were really good and had an amazing texture. I already love the texture of cornbread and pumpkin- combine them and I'm in heaven. I drizzled honey on them too like icing and ate them with tea and it was the perfect snack.
Thank you very much for your reply. I know this is a busy time for you.
Yes, unfortunately histamine seems to be a problem for me. Tomatoes are my very worst trigger.
I will try the recipe with my go-to ginger spice and maybe just see how I react to pumpkin.
Again, thank you!
Good luck, Bonnie! Let me know how you do.
Thanks for your wonderful site, I have found so many fantastic tips on it!
I want to try this recipe but am a little nervous because I thought pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg were on the high histamine avoid list.
Are there degrees/ levels of histamine in foods? Maybe pumpkin is on the lower end of " high histamine food." I was looking for a chart online but couldn't find.
Again thanks for all that you share, you rock Dizzy Cook!
Hey Bonnie, do you specifically have a histamine sensitivity? HYH eliminates some high histamine foods, but not all histamine foods. If you have a major sensitivity you can look into doing a low histamine diet based on the SIGHI list. I haven't heard much about pumpkin, but I know a few people who can't tolerate cinnamon. You could just use other spices or leave them out.