It's Sunday! And a perfect day to bring you a Meal Makeover that will make you FALL in love with Pumpkin (even more than you already are)! I usually post a new recipe for a Meal Made in Minutes on Sundays, but I thought I would change things up a bit this weekend and finally introduce you to my new obsession - Nut Butter Pumpkin Muffins (which are much more healthy than traditional muffins, but way more delicious than your average store-bought muffin)!

This week's Meal Makeover: Nut Butter Pumpkin Muffins

The best part about these delicious muffins is that they are made with whole foods and have a very short ingredients list!

Ingredients: (Makes 9 muffins or 18 mini-muffins)

3/4 cup Pure Pumpkin Puree (I used Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree)
1/3 cup pure Maple Syrup (No HFCS)
1 cup All-Natural Nut Butter *
1 large egg (I used Eggland's Best)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
Olive oil spray (for greasing muffin pan)

* I have used Better N' Nut Butter (with less fat than regular peanut butter) and All-Natural Peanut Butter (with no added preservatives). Both nut butter versions came out great, but the Better N' Nut Butter muffins were more cake-like and the All-Natural Nut Butter muffins were more dense and muffin-like. Give both versions a try and see which one you like better!

Just a few, simple whole food ingredients!

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325-degrees F. Spray muffin pan with olive oil spray to prevent sticking.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients in the exact order. Mix well with a large spoon until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. You may need to use some elbow grease depending on the type of nut butter you choose!
Divide the muffin batter in each muffin tin (9 regular-sized muffins or 18 mini-muffins)
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, but be sure not to overbake the muffins - they burn easily! (check the muffins as 15 minutes to prevent burning).
Remove muffin pan from oven and check to see if they are done with a tooth pick (the tooth pick should come out dry) and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Then remove muffins and let cool on cooling rack... Once cooled, they are ready to enjoy!

All ingredients mixed up and ready for baking!

Just try not to eat them all in one sitting!

These Nut Butter Pumpkin Muffins are loaded with nutrients (Vitamin A and Heart-Healthy Fats) and go perfectly with your favorite omelet and cup of coffee for breakfast, or by itself as a healthy snack between meals! One regular-sized muffin is between 120-180 calories (depending on the nut butter you use) and provides almost 40% of your daily Vitamin A requirements! Not to mention that if you use natural peanut butter, you will get about 10g unsaturated fat and 7g of protein with only 12g carbohydrates! Now that's a win, win, win situation if you ask me!

Nutrition Facts for 1 muffin made with Better N' Peanut Butter

So, never mind, go ahead and eat as many as you want! And if you are feeling generous, share the wealth with your family and friends this week! I brought some in for my fellow Dietetic Interns and they were a big hit, but I was sure to save some for my husband and I at home for the rest of the week!

So here's to the week ahead! May it be full of happy experiences, positive thoughts, and PUMPKIN-flavored everything!