Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chip Oat Muffins

I think I am in love. These muffins are amazing. They are light, delicious, easy to make, freezable, with a beautiful golden crunchy top (thanks to some turbinado sugar). If you haven't ever heard of this delectable sugar let me take a moment to introduce you. It will change your life. A small sprinkle takes mundane things like oatmeal, muffins, cookies, and turns them into magic. No it's not fake sugar a sugar substitute. No it's not low fat. It's just fun. Because turbinado sugar is made up of crystallizing sugar cane juice that have been spun in turbines (thus the name turbin - ado), the sugar looks like tiny crystals, giving a dynamite crunch and sparkle to anything it lands on. The best time to add this to muffins or cookies is right before you put them into the oven. I haven't experimented with adding into things in the place of white or regular brown sugar, but that seems like a logical next step.... while I think about that I think I shall munch on another one of these amazingly healthy & tasty muffins. 

Did I mention we had a muffin crisis the first time I made these? We accidentally ate a whole batch in 2 days. We couldn't keep our hands off of them! Healthy eating in 2014? Not a problem. Moderation and portion control meh we'll get to that next year. 

Whole wheat Pumpkin Chip Oat Muffins

original recipe from: jensfavoritecookies.com

prep + baking time: 25-30 minutes

batch easily doubled

Ingredients
6 T butter unsalted organic, softened
1/4 cup apple sauce, unsweetened 
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp vital wheat gluton
3/4 cup heaping pumpkin
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup quick oats
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup chocolate chips

5 Easy Steps:

1. Cream the butter, sugar, and pumpkin over medium speed with a mixer

2. Add in everything else except choc chips.

3. Once everything else is fully mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

4.Divide the very thick batter evenly among 12 muffin lined cups. I found it best to lightly spray the muffin cups but I may be just paranoid about things sticking. 

5. Bake these wonderful things at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool a bit before eating and the complements start to flow. No one will even guess they are "healthy".