Arrival of Autumn

One sure sign that autumn has arrived in Europe is the welcoming array of pumpkins and squashes at the farmers’ market. That and the fact that ballet flats are not the best choice of shoes anymore, now that the temperatures have taken a sudden dip.

My favourite way to celebrate the onset of autumn is to make a big batch of Roast Pumpkin Soup, with either a tray of savoury scones or a Bacon & Cheese Savoury Cake to go alongside.

And as I am always looking for ways to sneak vegetables into our children’s diet, autumn is the perfect time to start adding pumpkin to cakes and bakes. Whilst I wouldn’t quite concede that a slice of pumpkin pie or carrot cake counts as part of their daily vegetable intake, it is certainly a fun way of making children understand that vegetables can be tasty, whether served sweet or savoury.

pumpkin spice muffins on plate
{Lake Zurich on a cold, autumn morning}
Lake Zurich on a cold, autumn morning.
{Pumpkins at the Bürkliplatz farmers' markets in Zurich}
Pumpkins at the Bürkliplatz farmers’ markets in Zurich.
{Mini squash at the Bürkliplatz farmers' markets in Zurich}
Mini squash at the Bürkliplatz farmers’ markets in Zurich.
{Decorative apples at the Bürkliplatz farmers' markets in Zurich}
Decorative apples at the Bürkliplatz farmers’ markets in Zurich.
{Quinces at the Bürkliplatz farmers' markets in Zurich}
Quinces at the Bürkliplatz farmers’ markets in Zurich.
{Pumpkins at the Bürkliplatz farmers' markets in Zurich}
Pumpkins at the Bürkliplatz farmers’ markets in Zurich.
{The arrival of ceps at the Bürkliplatz farmers' markets in Zurich}
The arrival of ceps at the Bürkliplatz farmers’ markets in Zurich.
{My favourite flowers in bloom at the Bürkliplatz farmers' markets in Zurich}
My favourite flowers in bloom at the Bürkliplatz farmers’ markets in Zurich.
{Parisian carrots at the Bürkliplatz farmers' markets in Zurich}
Parisian carrots at the Bürkliplatz farmers’ markets in Zurich.

Growing up in Australia, pumpkin scones were a familiar tea-time treat. But the American classics, such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin mousse and even the Pumpkin Spice Latté from Starbucks, were foreign concepts to me until several years ago when we moved to Chicago.

Once autumn rolled around and the shops started to prepare for Halloween, my husband and I couldn’t wait to sample all of the pumpkin delights … and pumpkin donuts were high on that list!

pumpkin muffins on marble board

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

After loading my market bag with a few too many pumpkins the other day, I decided to bake a treat for the children for their afternoon tea.

These pumpkin spice muffins are deliciously light and sweet, and the crunchy pecan and chocolate topping provides a nice contrast to the fluffy cake underneath.

Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your children all excited about something you’ve made, and especially when they ask for seconds.

pumpkin spice muffins with teatowel
pumpkin spice muffins
5 stars (4 reviews)

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Pecans & Chocolate

Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
Prep15 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Total45 minutes
Serves: 12 muffins
These Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Pecans & Chocolate are a delicious autumnal treat.
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Ingredients

Instructions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (without fan).
  2. Line a muffin pan with paper muffin cases.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the vanilla extract and eggs.
  5. Beat until well incorporated.
  6. Add and mix through the pumpkin purée.
  7. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  8. Add the milk.
  9. Gently mix until everything is just combined. Be careful to not over-mix the batter.
  10. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
  11. Mix together the chopped pecans and chocolate. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over each muffin case.
  12. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
  13. Leave the muffins to cool in the tray for about 5 minutes before removing them from the tray.
  14. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Kitchen Notes

  • HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PURÉE
    * Peel and remove the seeds from about 500 g of pumpkin.
    * Cut the pumpkin into large pieces of roughly equal size.
    * You can either boil or steam or the pumpkin.
    * To boil, bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the pumpkin and cook for about 30 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
    * To steam, bring a large pot of water to the boil, place the pumpkin in the steamer basket and steam for about 50-60 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
    * Place the cooked pumpkin into the bowl of a large food processor and blitz until you have a fine purée. Leave the purée to cool completely before using in this recipe.
  • OVEN TEMPERATURES
    All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
  • CONVERSIONS
    To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 257kcal, Carbohydrates: 36.2g, Protein: 4.5g, Fat: 11.2g, Cholesterol: 45.8mg, Sodium: 78mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14.9g

Did you make this recipe?

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Update

This recipe was first published on 7 October 2016. It has been updated with more comprehensive recipe notes.

More Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Scones

Classic Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Bundt Cake