Pumpkin Cheese Muffins

Name: Pumpkin Cheese Muffins
Ingredients: 150 g pumpkin (peeled weight); 150 g flour; 100 g cheese; 30 g sour cream; 30 g vegetable oil; 2 eggs; 0.5 tsp baking powder; pinch of baking soda; pinch of salt; spices to taste (black pepper, turmeric, garlic); sesame seeds for topping (optional)

I still have pumpkin left to use up, so today brings a new pumpkin recipe!)) This time it's savory muffins made with pumpkin. I used fresh pumpkin this time rather than pumpkin puree, and it turned out just as great! For spices I used pepper, garlic, and a little turmeric to give the muffins an even brighter color. That said, if you don't have turmeric on hand, you can skip it — thanks to the pumpkin, the muffins will still be beautifully vibrant! The muffins came out absolutely delicious — tender, soft, fluffy, and fragrant on the inside with the most wonderful cheesy top! I got 8 muffins out of this batch!

Ingredients:

Batter:
150 g pumpkin (peeled weight)
150 g flour
100 g cheese
30 g sour cream
30 g vegetable oil
2 eggs
0.5 tsp baking powder
pinch of baking soda
pinch of salt
spices to taste (black pepper, turmeric, garlic)
Also:
sesame seeds for topping (optional)

How to cook pumpkin cheese muffins

Finely blend the pumpkin in a blender. At first it may seem difficult, but stick with it and it'll work out)) The puree won't be as smooth as it would be from cooked pumpkin, but it should still be blended fairly finely.

Place the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, and pumpkin puree in a bowl. Add spices to taste — I used about 0.3 tsp each of turmeric and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk together lightly.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to the wet mixture and stir to combine. There's no need to overmix muffin batter — just stir until everything comes together.

Grate the cheese on a coarse grater — I used Gouda. Add about 2/3 of it to the batter and set the rest aside for topping.

Stir to combine.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups.

Top with the reserved cheese and, if desired, sesame seeds (I used a mix of white and black sesame seeds).

Bake in an oven preheated to 170°C for about 20–25 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly golden.

The muffins can be served right away. They're absolutely delicious fresh out of the oven, while still warm. They're also great once cooled — it really comes down to personal preference! Just look at that gorgeous, vibrant color on these muffins!