Refined Sugar-free Pumpkin Muffins | How to make healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Love Desserts and something hold you back from having them. Is it the weight-gain, avoiding sugar or anything else?

If its sugar or calories that stop you in indulging in your favourite dessert, you may not have to do that now.

This is a simple recipe of amazing pillowy Pumpkin Muffins that are made using desi ghee, Gud Shakkar (Jaggery powdered) and no refined sugar or egg is added.

Yet they taste superb.

Refined sugar-free Pumpkin Muffins are made using wheat flour and Gud Shakkar (Jaggery sugar) flavoured with pumpkin spice, desi ghee and are topped with caramel sauce mixed with salted cream cheese.

These muffins are not just without refined sugar but also without egg and are ideal for celebrating any occasion. They are healthy and can be made in just few minutes. Even a surprise guest visit will not be worrisome with these pumpkin beauties.

Ingredients Overview

The most important ingredient here are Pumpkin Puree and pumpkin spice You may click here to find the detailed recipe of it.

I have used the orange pumpkin and its naturally sweet which makes it ideal for desserts. You may wash it, boil in large chunks and blend it with a fork or blender.

Pumpkin spice can be made by grinding whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, dried ginger, cloves.

I have used Amul butter along with Desi Ghee. One may use refined oil as well.

Wheat flour makes it little dense as compared to all purpose flour (Maida) . In fact, any gluten free flour like Ragi, Amranth etc are generally dense. One has to see what suits them.

I have used the salted cream cheese mixed with caramel sauce as the frosting. You may use any frosting of your choice.

Can It be made Vegan?

Yes. Replace the milk by vegan milk like almond and coconut milk. Ghee can be replaced with any other oil.

How can it be made gluten free?

Replace the wheat flour by Ragi flour, Water chestnut flour buckwheat or amranth flour. Naturally the taste wont be same as these flours are denser than wheat flour.

To have a healthy option, one may always choose gluten free options and slowly gradually you will have the tuning with taste. Once in a while, having a dessert in its natural form wont hurt.

Can These Pumpkin Muffins help me lose weight?

Well, this is one question at the back of our mind whether we cook or not. To answer this, I would really wish you to figure out that do you really need a weight-loss or you are doing it because others are doing it.

I trust you if you say YES.

If you are reading ahead, I would suggest you to figure out the reason of your weight-gain.

Why I am saying so is simply because sometimes the weight-gain is NOT just associated with what we eat. It can be emotional as well.

There may be an underlying hormonal issue which went unnoticed for years.

Or , there is no reason. Its simply your obsession of calculating calories while eating though you are a foodie and later you open up the fridge/ pantry and eat whatever you may grab!

As far as these pumpkin muffins are considered, they are a combo of pumpkin (which is ideal for immunity along with low-calorie high fibre food) and jaggery sugar which doesnt add up empty calories rather the calories which dont spike up your sugar level soon and keep you full for longer.

Moreover, I have used less of butter and more of desi ghee which is again healthy and to tell more about it calls for another post !

Stories from Kitchen

The day I planned to make these pumpkin muffins, sun didnt show up!

So we had amazing treat but my photos were terrible. I patiently waited for another day and made these again and the images seem to be far better and we had double celebration. What a learning from it.

Sometimes things happen for a reason even if they dont seem to fall in place, they will as the time comes.

This happens again and again with us in our lives in different scenarios. Be it job, home, kids, family, ..

We face hurdles and by persistence, patience and faith, I believe we can get rid of any negativity. These three things along with morals can do wonders.

I have seen people judging me by looks, what I wear, so much so whether I have a job or I am a homemaker. Most of the crowd around me believes that I am barely a graduate as I am a homemaker in their eyes.

Though I don’t care much about it and don’t even bother to boast off my double Post grad, M.Tech from IIT or being former Assistant professor in DU.

Having said so, there are few days in a year that you get worried about such things in life and feel low. Then I remind myself what my sister-in-law told me that I cant change what people do or think. All I have to do is what I think is right in the lens of ethics and morals.

Keep doing what you love and forget what others say or believe!

Recipe Insights

Since we are not using any egg here, the most important step is to mix sugar and butter rigorously.

Here I have used jaggery sugar and Amul butter along with Desi Ghee. Mixed it well before you add any dry ingredients. Once mixed well, add pumpkin puree and further mix well.

Tips for Pillowy Muffins

Beat the sugar and Butter/Ghee manually for at least 5 min.

Use ghee in baking as it tends to soften the cake or muffins.

Since I am using wheat flour, the muffins would be dense and if you dont like dense, I would suggest you to revisit your health goals and decide what you really wish.

For a market-like stuff, you have to use APF (Maida).

Detailed Recipe

1)Gather all the ingredients. Pumpkin Puree can be made by pressure cook pumpkin for 2 whistles. Then you can blend it. I could mash it easily with fork.

Take a large bowl. Add cold butter to it. Add Jaggery sugar and mix well for 4 min.

2) Add desi ghee and then Add pumpkin puree and mix well again. The more you mix at this stage, the fluffier and softer are the muffins.

3) Add pumpkin spice, and then gradually add wheat flour and milk. Keep mixing and adding as required. the mixture shall not be very loose or too tight. Once mixed well, add baking soda and baking powder. After that, dont overmix. Just mix by cut and fold method.

4) Preheat the OTG for 10 min at 100 degrees C. Then, you may transfer the batter to muffin trays.

Remember to grease the paper so that it doesnt stick. Bake it for about 10-15 minutes at 200 degree C. Do the clean knife test.

5) Use the frosting you wish for. I love caramel and I mixed it with salted cream cheese.

The delicious healthy pumpkin muffins are ready!! Have it with hot cup of tea or coffee!!

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More eggless desserts:

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