Squash, Pecan and Cinnamon Muffins

These muffins are made with lots of wholesome ingredients: butternut squash, sultanas, pecans, buttermilk and linseed. In combination, you get a delicious little muffin and much goodness. Offer your little trick or treaters a healthy, homemade treat this Halloween!

Ingredients

• 1/2 butternut squash, de-seeded, peeled and chopped into small chunks
• 200g plain flour
• 25g ground linseed
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 100g pecans, chopped to a size edible for small people
• 150g sultanas
• 2 eggs
• 125ml date syrup (or you could probably use dark agave too)
• 125ml sunflower oil
• 125ml buttermilk
• few drops vanilla essence

Instructions

1. Cook the squash by boiling it in water until soft and edible. The time required will vary according to the size of your chunks! Mine took about 10 minutes.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, linseed, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nuts and sultanas) in a bowl.
3. Combine all the wet ingredients (egg, syrup, oil, buttermilk and vanilla essence) in a different bowl.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
5. Spoon into muffin cases/ oiled tin (filled to the top) and bake at 180C. You can make mini muffins or large buns/ muffins. The mini muffins took 10 minutes and larger buns took 15 minutes.

Nutritional Highlights: Butternut squash is a very good source of Vitamin C and A. It also contains Vitamin E, Calcium and Magnesium. Date syrup is a good source of iron and I used the ground linseed to add some Omega 3 to the muffins. Buttermilk also brings Calcium to these muffins. First served at: 18 months A-L rating: She ate quite a few in one sitting! Freezer friendly? Probably Adult adaption: I made larger buns and added a sugar topping before baking (Mix 50g sugar, 50g pecans and a tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle a layer on top of the buns before putting them in the oven).

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