Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins w/ Chocolate Chips

3  1/3 c. whole wheat flour, fine ground

1  t. baking soda

2  t.  baking powder

1  t. salt

4   eggs

1 c. milk, or prepared powdered milk

1/2 c.  oil

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. cooked cream of wheat, oatmeal, or cracked-wheat cereal, warm (optional, adds moisture)

1  1/2 c. sugar

15 oz. can pumpkin, or 2 c. frozen pumpkin puree defrosted and drained

2  t. cinnamon

1/8  t. nutmeg and 1/8 t. cloves (optional)

12 oz. bag chocolate chips

Makes 24 tall muffins or 36 short muffins. 

Mix first 4 ingredients, then add the rest.  Grease muffin tin with oil, not with oil cooking spray. Put 1/2  to  2/3 full into the greased muffin tins.  

Bake 15-20 min at 350 degrees. The smell of autumn will fill your kitchen. Lightly touch the center of a few muffins, if it bounces back, they are done. Wait 2 min before removing from tin. Enjoy them hot! 

These muffins freeze very well. They make a great (somewhat healthy) after-school snack. We like to make '36 short muffins' because they cook fast, fit in kid-sized mouths, and if frozen defrost easy.

No need to spread extra butter on top of these babies.  The butter is already inside.

Pumpkin Nutrition:

Great source of  Vitamin A

Low in calories and fat

High in fiber

Can replace oil for pumpkin in many recipes.

The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health.

Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.