Living in Southern California, I’m impatiently waiting for the Fall weather to kick in, but the smell of pumpkin spice filling my home makes the wait a little more bearable. This is a great recipe to make for friends and family to give as gifts or to bring to holiday parties.
Pumpkins are very high in Vitamin A, mainly in the form of carotenoids, which is needed for healthy vision, cell growth and differentiation, gene expression, and so much more. For more information about the health benefits of the pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, check out this article.
Quick tip: To get the most of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, you should be eating some fat along with them. People who eat fat-free or very high fiber diets may be at risk for deficiencies in these vitamins.
I like using muffin tins only because it’s easier to eat. If you want more of a bread look, using loaf pans works well, too. Depending on what size, the baking time could be between 30-60 minutes.
Recipe makes 24 muffins:
3 1/3 cups flour
3 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cloves
3-4 tbsp Pure Moringa Powder
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
15 oz. can pumpin puree
1 cups chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs.
4. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, followed by about half of the water, and mix until combined. Repeat until everything is combined.
5. Stir in the pumpkin puree until well combined.
6. Scoop out about a cup and a half of the batter and put it in a small bowl. Add in 3 or 4 Tbsp moringa powder and mix thoroughly. Add a little bit of water if it becomes too thick.
7. Coat muffin tins with nonstick spray, or use liners, and fill about half way up with the original batter.
8. Add about a tablespoon of the moringa batter to each cup. Use a knife to swirl the green into the orange. Pumpkin colors for pumpkin bread!
9. Top each with some chopped walnuts.
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
11. Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy!
(This recipe does have lots of sugar, but it contributes to the texture of the final product. Like most baked good recipes, this one can definitely be altered to fit your needs.)
Sources:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
