Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

We continue quick bread week with a tasty recipe for muffins (although I assume you could make it in a loaf too!).

Lately I've been craving sweets at night - cakes, cookies, ice cream, brownies, you name it - I want it. I've upped my exercise in the last month or so and I have really noticed an increased appetite, but I'm trying to keep it under control. I have rationalized my sweets craving by thinking that if I just have "healthier" muffins around, that will satisfy my sweet craving without all the bad parts of other desserts.

I had some pumpkin puree in my fridge so off I went in search of a pumpkin muffin recipe. I found this one from pickycook.com. It sounded (and looked) quite tasty so I whipped it up in no time! (Literally took me about 10 minutes to put together then throw in the oven- awesome!).

The original recipe provides per muffin:
203 calories
6.1 g fat
35.0 g carbohydrate
1.2 g fiber
3.0 g protein

I only made a couple small changes. Instead of oil I used mashed ripe bananas. I also added 1/2 cup raisins because I really wanted to put in white chocolate chips but this was my internal compromise. The end result is a flavorful, moist muffin perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth or for my husband to grab out the door in the morning for a quick breakfast.
Pumpkin Raisin Muffins - BETTER

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp cinnamon-divided
pinch nutmeg
1 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar - divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins

Put oven in the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.

Sift together flour and baking powder in a small bowl, set aside.

Whisk together pumpkin, bananas, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in raisins with a wooden spoon.

Combine remaining 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl. (Or just use cinnamon/sugar from your cabinet!)

Divide batter equally among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer muffins to wire rack to cool.

Per muffin:
182 calories
1.1 g fat
41.3 g carbohydrate
1.6 g fiber
3.2 g protein