Apple and Pumpkin Purée Bran Muffins

April 2, 2025

Pumpkin varietals are everywhere around Halloween, and most are great to cook with as well as super healthy. Clean Plates has 4 recipes to make well after Trick-or-treating is over!

This recipe is adapted from The Clean Plates Cookbook ($9.97). Our original recipe uses applesauce. But for the season, we’ve subbed in antioxidant-rich pumpkin purée!

Apple and Pumpkin Purée Bran Muffins

SERVES

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

15 min

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup wheat bran

1 1/4 cup spelt flour

1 1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking soda

1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

organic neutral-flavored high-heat cooking oil, such as grapeseed, as needed

2/3 c. grass-fed organic plain yogurt or kefir

1/2 c. coconut nectar

1/4c. unsweetened or homemade organic pumpkin purée (try the simple pumpkin cooking instructions here, or use instructions from Diane Piazza*)

1 large organic, pasture-raised or antibiotic-free egg

1/2 small apple, cored, sliced thinly, then slices cut in half crosswise

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, combine the wheat bran and 1/2 c. boiling water. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Coat twelve standard-size muffin cups with oil. Set the flour mixture and muffin pan aside.

Add the yogurt, coconut nectar, pumpkin purée and egg to the bran mixture, stirring to thoroughly combine. Add the flour mixture, stirring until just shy of combined. Add the apple, stirring just until combined.

Fill the prepared muffin cups to slightly rounded over the top. Bake until tops are browned and set, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and return them to the rack to cool thoroughly.

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