Hello, cozy autumn baking weather.

There’s nothing like dropping temperatures, changing leaves, and rainy Portland weather to make me want to never, ever leave my apartment, snuggle with my babe, put on comfy pants, and bake everything.

The problem is, unfortunately, that I’m a terrible baker – especially when it comes to muffins, cakes, quick breads, and anything else that requires quasi-science in the form of baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Don’t get me wrong, I can follow a baking recipe no problem, but when it comes to making up something on my own – struggles.

That’s why I lean heavily on fellow bloggers and bakers during these autumnal times of baking needs. This muffin recipe, for example, is inspired and modified from Ashley of Blissful Basil’s vegan pumpkin power muffin recipe with a few little swaps and tweaks here and there.

Parsnip Power.

One of my favorite additions to these muffins is a super secret vegetable. Along with pumpkin puree, these delicious muffins have parsnip, too! Parsnip, a root vegetable, resembles a white and thick carrot. They’re abundant in the autumn and winter months and can be enjoyed in the way you eat most other root vegetables: mashed, roasted, baked, pureed, and more. Parsnips are also packed with nutrients including vitamin C, folate, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins, among others.

In this recipe, parsnip is grated finely to add a perfect moist texture and sweet taste to the muffins. If you’ve never tried parsnip before, these muffins are the perfect place to start! Once you start to stock up on these vegetables, you’ll soon become as obsessed with them as I am!

Grated parsnip is combined with pumpkin puree, pumpkin seeds, and whole-wheat pastry flour to form a thick batter. Coconut sugar and maple syrup sweeten the muffins lightly, while the addition of raisins adds in a pop of sweetness in each and every bite.

A sweet blend of pumpkin pie spice, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and a hint of sea salt are the finishing touches on these tasty muffins.

These parsnip and pumpkin muffins are definitely a delicious way to celebrate cozy fall baking weather. Enjoy!

Parsnip, Pumpkin, and Raisin Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup finely grated parsnip, loosely packed
1 egg
3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
⅓ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
½ cup pumpkin seeds, plus more to garnish
½ cup raisins
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.

In a large bowl combine wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, grated parsnip, egg, coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well to fully combine. Stir in pumpkin seeds and raisins until combined.

Scoop a heaping tablespoon of muffin batter into lined baking tins. Repeat with the remainder of batter. If you’d like, garnish each muffin with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Bake muffins for 18-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let muffins sit to cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes before removing. Let cool for an additional 10 minutes before digging in!

Serve muffins with a smear of nut butter, ghee, or butter, if you’d like. Enjoy!

Notes:

-The recipe was adapted from Ashley of Blissful Basil’s Vegan Pumpkin Power Muffins.
- If you’d like to make these muffins gluten-free, swap whole-wheat pastry flour with oat flour or almond flour.
- My favorite whole wheat pastry flour is Bob’s Red Mill – it has the perfect texture and is so ideal for baked goods.
- This post contains Amazon affiliate links – thank you for supporting VK!