Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Nut Muffins…and a trip to Florida for 2?!

So I tried making steel cut oats in the crock pot this weekend. Apparently, over-sleeping (well, I shouldn’t say over-sleeping because it’s my #1 goal on the weekends to try and sleep in as much as possible) and setting the crock pot to “high” instead of “low” yields some pretty gnarly results. Oops. All I can say is I’m very glad I used a crock pot liner and the burnt mess was minimal to clean up after.

Muffins. They’re so much easier. And classic. And delicious.

When the fine people of Smart Balance approached me about a recipe contest, I couldn’t wait to learn more.

The deal was to come up with an original recipe using at least 1 Smart Balance product (not hard to do considering I buy many Smart Balance products anyways) and to post the recipe to share. While that’s all fine and good, the great news is that the winning recipe wins TWO trips (for 2) to Canyon Ranch in Florida — one trip for me, and one to give away to one of YOU!

Who wouldn’t want round-trip airfare to Miami International Airport (MIA) from anywhere within the U.S, transportation to and from MIA to Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach, two nights in a one-bedroom suite at Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach, and a $500 resort credit for spa treatments & dining?!

Hello vacation!

So if you think these muffins sound fabulous perhaps you should 1) try them out for yourself (’tis the season of pumpkin…and chocolate is never out of season!) and 2) head on over the Smart Balance Facebook Page (“like” Smart Balance), click on “Recipe Challenge” and VOTE for these Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Nut Muffins. It’s that simple! (You have to “like” Smart Balance on Facebook in order to vote, so do that first!)

Worst case scenario, a great fall muffin recipe. Best case scenario, we’re heading to Florida!!!!

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Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Nut Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup Smart Balance cooking oil
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 oz dark (72% cocao) chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until all ingredients are blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in chopped chocolate and walnuts.

Fill each muffin tin nearly full and bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: 13 muffins.

Nutrition Information (per muffin): 216 calories; 13.5 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 231 mg. sodium; 23.5 g. carbohydrate; 4.0 g. fiber; 1.9 g. protein

Result: Chunks of chocolate, nuts, and subtle pumpkin. These moist muffins are a sure hit and so simple to make. Lots of fiber and healthy fat give these staying power that is healthy enough for a snack, filling enough for a breakfast, and sweet enough for dessert! Enjoy!

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This weekend was so relaxing and productive…just what I needed! Ready for the week ahead that thankfully, looks pretty easy breezy! *knock on wood*

Thanks in advance for your vote!

Be well,