Fresh Milled Flour Pumpkin Banana Muffins

As I join the multitude of folks milling their own flour, I’m doing lots of research and playing around with new recipes. My best discovery so far is that many of my tried & true recipes can be easily converted, These Fresh Milled Flour Pumpkin Banana Muffins are a prime example. They’re definitely more hearty and flavorful. Best of all, they’re packed with nutrition.

Why is fresh milled flour better than store bought flour?

• By milling your own high-quality clean grain, you’re retaining the massive nutritional benefits of the entire wheat berry – the bran, germ + endosperm.
• With store-bought flour, the bran and germ are removed for shelf stability leaving you with mostly starch & protein and no nutritional value.
• The improved texture of your baked goods is coupled with more fiber, vitamins, healthy fats and minerals.
• Not to mention the awesome flavor from fresh milled flour. It is nutty, sweet and complex.
• Of course, the flavor profile and texture totally depend on the particular grain being used.

I’m very new to the process, but find that I’m already sold on the benefits. For more in-depth details, here’s some good reading for you…

• Fresh Milled Mama
• Grains in Small Places
• Souly Rested
• Highly recommend getting a copy of Sue Becker’s book, Essential Home-Ground Flour. It’s packed with loads of important information, helpful hints and recipes. I refer to it on an almost daily basis. Also, Sue has an awesome YouTube channel you may find useful.
• On a final note, this testimonial from a nurse on the health benefits of making your own bread with fresh milled flour blew me away!

The list of ingredients for your Fresh Milled Flour Pumpkin Banana Muffins…

• Unsalted butter – At room temperature. It is important to use unsalted butter so that the natural butter flavor shines through without the influence of added salt.
• Granulated sugar – When possible, I prefer to use organic granulated sugar. It’s less processed than conventional refined sugar, retaining some of the molasses, which contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Additionally, organic sugar is produced without synthetic pesticides or herbicides. Coconut sugar, with its lower glycemic index, could be used as an alternative here.
• Eggs – Large eggs (chilled or at room temperature) are used in this recipe. 
• Bananas – Mashed. Be sure that your bananas are very ripe. I find that my potato masher works well in smashing up the pieces of banana. Or you could just use a fork.
• Sour cream – Full-fat or reduced-fat sour cream is fine. Adds a rich tangy flavor to the muffins. If need be, you can substitute with regular or Greek yogurt.
• Pure pumpkin puree – Do not substitute with pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is simply pureed pumpkin with no additional ingredients. In contrast, pumpkin pie filling is a pre-made mixture containing pumpkin puree, along with added sugar, spices, and thickeners.
• Pure vanilla extract – Best to use pure vanilla extract. Made from only natural vanilla beans, water and alcohol, pure vanilla extract provides a richer, deeper flavor profile with additional aromatic notes that the artificial version lacks.
• Fresh milled flour – Soft white wheat berries work well here with their mild, slightly sweet flavor, perfect for tender baked goods.
• Baking powder – Baking powder contributes to a lighter, fluffier texture in baked goods.
• Baking soda – Contributes to a slightly tangy flavor as well as creating a chewier texture. Baking soda also helps baked goods to brown.
• Ground cinnamon – Adds a warm spicy-sweet flavor.
• Mini chocolate chips – Semi-sweet or bittersweet. I use Ghirardelli brand chips, which are readily available in most stores and, so far, don’t contain bio-engineered ingredients.
• Sparkling sugar – Optional but highly recommend. Sparkling sugar is a coarse, large-crystal sugar specifically designed to stay intact, providing a crunchy texture and decorative sparkle on baked goods.

Before we get started, it’s a good idea to get your bananas mashed up. Set them aside until they’re added to the batter.

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Fresh Milled Flour Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Try these Fresh Milled Flour Pumpkin Banana Muffins for a hearty treat that's actually good for you. Enjoy the nutritional benefits of the fresh milled flour along with the robust flavor of pumpkin and banana. The mini chocolate chips take these guys to the next level.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Resting Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 12 large muffins

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (56 grams)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (250 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 220 grams)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (4 ounces / 114 grams)
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree (4.5 ounces / 129 grams)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 290 grams fresh milled flour - soft white wheat berries (about 2 1/3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (6.2 ounces / 175 grams)
• sparkling sugar to top muffins (optional but recommended)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, using electric hand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and the sugar on high speed for about one minute. The ingredients should be well-combined but the mixture will appear to be coarse.

   Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture. Continue beating for another minute until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

   Add the mashed bananas, sour cream, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract to the mix and continue beating with the electric mixer until well combined, for about one more minute.

2. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix with a whisk until well combined.

   Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix with a large spoon until just combined. Do not over-mix. There may be a few lumps, which will resolve during the baking process. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.

   Cover the bowl and allow the batter to rest for 30 to 60 minutes. This will allow the fresh milled flour to fully hydrate and absorb all of the liquid before baking.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F.

   Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by filling each cup with a paper liner. If not using liners, grease each cup.

   Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups filling each to the top. If using, scatter a sprinkling of sparkling sugar over the surface of each muffin.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick in the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, they're done.

   Place the tray on a cooling rack. When cool enough to handle, remove the muffins from the tin and allow them to cool a while longer on the rack.

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