Chia Seed Pumpkin Muffins

It’s muffin season all year long, but today we’re focusing on autumn-friendly Chia Seed Pumpkin Muffins packed with good-for-you, plant-based protein, and pantry ingredients. 

Why You’ll Love This 

• Each muffin packs FIVE grams of protein! It’s a great way to include protein in your diet in a sweet, fun way. 
• These pumpkin muffins are a great on-the-go snack or breakfast that can be made in advance. 
• No fancy baking equipment is required. All you need is a mixing bowl and a muffin pan. 

This household has been baking off sweet treats to kick off the autumn season. 

Anything with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fruits in season – I am all for it! 

If you’re into autumn sweets, be sure to also check out our 3-Ingredient Homemade Applesauce, Pumpkin Banana Bread, and Mashed Carrots with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar. 

How To Make Chia Seed Pumpkin Muffins

1. First, we’ll allow the chia seeds to soak in water until gel-like and thick. This will help hold the muffins together, while also providing some protein and fiber. 
2. Then combine the dry ingredients. 
3. Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until well-combined and there are no dry/flour spots. 
4. Optionally, but fold in a handful of chopped pecans or your nut/s of choice for added texture and flavor. 
5. Finally, bake the pumpkin muffins at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes. 

Feel free to serve the muffins as is, or add some jam, honey, cinnamon brown sugar butter, or date paste. 

Recipe FAQs

Is Pumpkin Pie Mix The Same As Pumpkin Puree? 

Pumpkin pie mix and pumpkin puree are different and shouldn’t be used interchangeably in this recipe. 

Pumpkin pie mix has added spices and sugar – which can interfere with our control over these ingredients. Canned pumpkin puree is pumpkin that has been blended or processed to create a smooth puree. 

What Can I Use Instead of Pumpkin Pie Spice? 

If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice, you’re in luck. Pumpkin pie spice is essentially a blend of spices including ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. 

Here is the breakdown for pumpkin pie spice: 

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cloves (optional) 

Stir until well-combined. Feel free to tweak the measurements to your liking. If you love more cinnamon, go for more.

If you prefer to skip on the allspice, you can do that too. 

How To Soften Butter? 

If your butter is hard and very cold, to soften, you’ll just need to let it sit out for about 10 minutes or so.

I used plant-based, Melt Organic butter, which is already creamy and soft, but I had it sit for a couple of minutes to make it easier to fold in this recipe. 

It’s important to note we just want the butter to be soft in this recipe, not melted. 

Recipe Tips 

1. When it comes to baked goods, I recommend weighing the ingredients. However, I did list our alternative ways of measuring (i.e. cups) just in case. 
2. When measuring out the flour into measuring cups, scoop it out with a spoon. Incorrectly measuring out flour can leave you with more flour than you need. 
3. Feel free to fold in your choice of nuts or add-ins into the muffin batter. I decided to go with chopped pecans. Walnuts, sliced almonds, chocolate chips, and chopped fruit can be great additions.

How To Store 

Once completely cooled, transfer the muffins to an air-tight storage container, zip lock bag, or reusable silicone bag lined with paper towels. 

They can be left out and stored on the kitchen countertop for up to 3-4 days. 

Alternatively, they can also be stored in the freezer. 

Did you try out this Fluffy Chia Seed Pumpkin Muffins recipe?

Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it, or tag a picture @plantbasedandbroke on Instagram and hashtag it #plantbasedandbroke. Show off that creation with us.