I would like to introduce you to another amazing contributor!  Amanda is here to share a delicious recipe with us.  How does Pumpkin Streusel Muffins sound!?  Well, let’s get party started!  Take it away, Amanda!

Hey there!  I’m Amanda Fisher & I blog at Our Grace Filled Life.  My interests are all over the place, so you see a bit of everything there, but my favorite things to blog about are food, healthy living, furniture makeovers, home renovation & adoption. Today, I am super honored to be here & sharing one of my favorite Fall treats with you!  I look forward to pumpkin season all year round.  On occasion, my love of pumpkin even flows into other seasons {gasp! :)}.  Pumpkin really is best enjoyed in the Fall though, there’s just something very comforting about savoring a pumpkin treat with a little chill in the air.

For many years, I strictly used store-bought canned pumpkin, thinking that making homemade pumpkin puree was too difficult, too time consuming or simply wouldn’t taste as good.  Last year though, I ran across this tutorial from The Pioneer Woman & figured I’d give it a shot.  It really didn’t look too hard & because I try to make most everything else from scratch, it seemed silly that I’d never even tried it.  So, I gave it a shot & was pleasantly surprised by the results.  It really wasn’t difficult to do & we loved the flavor.  We’d also grown a few pie pumpkins in our garden last year, so it was fun knowing we’d made our own food from start to finish.

Whatever type of pumpkin you use, store-bought or homemade, I think you’re going to LOVE these muffins.  I’m a big fan of using whole grains & sweeteners that are as unprocessed as possible, so I’ve included a couple of different options for some of the ingredients so that you can use what you have on hand or are able to find.  Hope you enjoy!

1. 1 1/4 c. pumpkin puree {canned or homemade}
2. 1/4 c. applesauce
3. 1/3 c. sucanat or brown sugar
4. 1 egg
5. 1 t vanilla
6. 2 c. whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour
7. 2 t baking powder
8. 1 t pumpkin pie spice
9. 1/2 t sea salt
10. 1/2 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

1. 4 T butter, softened
2. 1/4 c. sucanat or brown sugar
3. 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
4. 1/3 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
3. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat together pumpkin, applesauce, egg & vanilla.
4. Add in flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice & sea salt & stir until just mixed.
5. Gently fold in chopped nuts.
6. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, fill prepared muffin tin with batter, filling each liner just 2/3 of the way full.
7. In another bowl, mix together the topping ingredients. The mixture should be nice & crumbly.
8. Using your hands, divy out the topping onto the waiting muffins.
9. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until the middles are set.
10. Enjoy!!