Fall Baking: Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

This Pinterest recipe for pumpkin muffins has been around now for several months. I first saw it a year ago on the Food Network's show, "The Kitchen," and was recently reminded of it again on a YouTube video when looking for a low-fat muffin recipe. And lucky for me, I just happened to have all of the ingredients - well kind of. 

Yes, believe it or not when it comes to special occasions I will make my cakes from scratch. I have several recipes handed down from my grandmother in my cake-from-scratch repertoire, but I have several reasons to keep a couple of cake mixes and at least one brownie mix in my cupboards. And from those cake mixes, it is rare when I use them to make a  traditional cake. 

The two ingredients for pumpkin muffins: spice cake box mix and a small (15 oz.) can of pureed pumpkin (not the ready-made pie filling). This recipe will make 12 muffins. 

Now it just so happens I didn't have a spice cake mix in my cupboards, but I did have a yellow cake mix. So I made the recipe a "three-ingredient" pumpkin muffin by adding a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. I think a yellow cake mix is just as good as you can control your spices, and it doesn't taste so "boxed." And I had several cans of pureed pumpkin. Why? Because back in September I heard there was going to be a shortage of pumpkin. Gotta have my pumpkin for my seasonal cookies, breads, and of course, pies. 

This full recipe will make a dozen muffins. I didn't want a dozen muffins hanging around, so I took out my kitchen scales and measured the 15 oz. cake mix to 7.5 oz. and split the can of pumpkin into half (almost a cup).  I tossed the extra pumpkin into the freezer and wrapped back up the remainder of the mix. In a couple of weeks, I will make another batch - - and add either a sprinkling of raisins and/or chocolate chips. 

At this point, it's pretty basic. Mix the dry cake mix with the pureed pumpkin in a mixing bowl. Grease a 12-cupcake tin or use liners and fill each one in equal portions.  Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until a muffin comes out clean with a toothpick. Let cool. 

The end result? Tasty! Easy! I will make it again and I was pleased with the portion of pumpkin pie spice I used since I didn't use a spice cake mix.  The muffins didn't rise to the shape of a traditional smooth dome-like muffin top, but it didn't affect the taste. Note the little white spots? That's part of the cake mix I didn't blend very well. I chose to mix the batter by hand with a spatula. Next time I will use the electric hand mixer - - or maybe not.  It didn't hamper the taste at all.  

When looking for a low-fat muffin with all of the taste you're looking for, this is the one. A cake mix alone without the addition of oil and eggs comes out to 4 grams of fat.  With the oil and eggs in the traditional box recipe comes out to about 11 grams of fat per serving.

Bless the pumpkin, the fruit of the season that is not only versatile but alone has zero fat.