Pumpkin Nutella Oatmeal Muffins

Hope you are enjoying the highlights of fall…

I know we are!

Football, Colorful trees, Bonfires, Apples and, of course, Pumpkins. 

Funny thing though, in my house, when my kids request something…

they never quite get exactly what they are asking for, 

but are generally pleased with what they get instead.  

In this case, Ryker asked for banana muffins and 

while taking on some of the male traits in my house, 

I selectively heard "muffins".

So, I was more than happy to fulfill his request.  

I'm pretty sure that if these were straight up pumpkin muffins, 

he would have been somewhat disappointed.  

However, the Nutella in the middle, makes these out of this world.  

The creamy, nutty, chocolate-y middle 

was a perfect contrast for the oatmeal and pumpkin muffin. 

But, don't take my word for it…try it for yourself. 

I just started with a basic pumpkin bread recipe and made my own tweaks along the way.  

About 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of canola oil, 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, 1/4 cup water and 2 eggs were measured into my trusty mixing bowl. 

After mixing, it looked like I went into the baby-food making business.  

Not so much. 

I happen to be a huge fan of oatmeal in my baked goods, 

so instead of adding flour next, 

I added 1 cup of quick oats, 

I could balance out the flour later once I knew the consistency. 

Then, I only went with 1/2 cup of sugar. 

Especially when adding embellishments like chocolate or Nutella, 

the baked goods themselves can thrive on less sugar. 

Then, for the minor ingredients, the traditional pumpkin spices were added,

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

along with 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. 

After mixing that all up, I decided that about 1 cup of flour would yield the desired consistency. 

Yep, looks about right!

Before I get too far ahead of myself, the oven needs to be pre-heated to 350 F. 

Then, a sprayed muffin tin can be filled 3/4 full with the muffin batter. 

Now, about 1 tbsp of Nutella was plopped into each muffin tin. 

Then, just using a knife, the Nutella was gently swirled into the batter. 

Upon completion, there was just a hint of the Nutella visible from the top. 

They were popped into the oven for 20-25 minutes. 

This is what mine looked like after 22 minutes. 

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1 cup of pumpkin puree

1/2 cup of canola oil

1/2 cup of light brown sugar

1/4 cup water

2 eggs

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup flour
Cooking spray

3/4 cup Nutella - divided into Tbsp

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Blend together the first 5 wet ingredients. 
Then add the next 8 dry ingredients. 
Pour muffin batter into sprayed muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full. 
Add about 1 tbsp of Nutella to each tin and gently swirl with a knife to incorporate. 
Bake for 20-25 minutes and allow to cool. 

I love having baked goods around. 

My kids were able to enjoy them for breakfast and after school snacks

AND

I was able to share a few with friends!