Fun Recipe Friday: Butternut Squash Cornbread Muffins

Fall is the perfect time to experiment and make recipes involving butternut squash.  My kids love muffins.....they are perfect in the morning, as an after school snack, or as a side to chili and soup.  I made these muffins last week as a side to a hearty lentil stew.  They turned out great!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (feel free to do a mix of flours to your liking)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup baked and mashed butternut squash

1/2 cup almond or oat milk

1/2 cup butter or coconut oil (melted)

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 eggs (if omitting eggs, sub 1/4 cup plain yogurt and 1 tablespoon ground flax meal)

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Oil muffin tins or line with muffin liners.  In a medium bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.  

In a mixer, blend squash, butter, maple syrup, and eggs until well blended.  Slowly add dry flour mixture while mixer is on low.  Blend well.

Fill muffin tins full with batter.  Press pumpkin or sunflower seeds into the tops of each muffin.  Bake for 22-28 minutes.  Muffins will still be slight soft to the touch and cracked slightly when done.  Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.  Serve warm with melted butter.

**Quick meal for baby variation:  make a little extra butternut squash, puree well in a food processor or blender, add a dash of maple syrup, and serve.

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