Apple Pumpkin Walnut Muffins

Yes, pumpkin in February. What?

Because I cook with what I can find here in Singapore, and because a dear friend found cans of pumpkin puree at a local Cold Storage, I’ve decided that February is a totally reasonable month to enjoy some pumpkin-licious baking.

The way I see it, pumpkin is genuinely wonderful for heart health, so that makes this a great Valentine’s Day recipe! It’s rich in potassium, fiber, and antioxidants, the kind of quiet, steady nutrients that help lower blood pressure, support cholesterol levels, and protect your body from the damage that can lead to heart disease. Pumpkin is basically doing some quiet pastoral care for your cardiovascular system.

And then we bring in apples, sweet and crisp, full of their own fiber and plant compounds that help support heart health and keep things moving along (both spiritually and, you know, digestively).

And walnuts? Walnuts are the overachievers in the muffin tin. They’re loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and magnesium, linked to lower LDL cholesterol, reduced inflammation, a happier gut microbiome, and even long-term brain support. About an ounce a day (12–14 halves, if you’re counting like a tiny woodland accountant) can offer real benefits, from heart health to cognitive resilience.

And then…

I went and added butter.

And sugar.

And a crumble topping that is basically a dessert hat.

So this is, in truth, akin to a healthy breakfas, but really it’s just pretty dern yummy.

I cobbled this recipe together from a few I found online and a few ingredients swapped out because, well, because brown sugar and buttermilk. You can make it your own by using different nuts (or omitting) and maybe some dried cranberries. I’d love to know if you tinker with the recipe!

The whole shebang took about 45 minutes (but I am a slow, messy baker) and I got 18 muffins from the recipe. I also made 1/2 the batch without the crumble topping to see what would happen and to reduce the overall sugar per bite just a bit. You can see in the photo that the topped muffins came out a deeper brown and the nekkid ones are a bit more golden

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Ingredients

Muffins

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

• 4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ½ cup butter, softened

• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  (warm, molasses-y, grounding)

• ½ cup caster sugar
  (for that clean sweetness and lift)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup pumpkin purée

• ⅔ cup buttermilk + 1 tablespoon whole milk
  (tangy, tender, perfect crumb energy)

• 2 cups chopped apples, peeled

• ½ cup walnuts, chopped

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Sunshine Crumble

(now with orange zest, because we are not here to be boring)

Crumble Topping Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, cubed

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• Zest of about ½ an orange
  (just enough to brighten the whole situation—like morning light through kitchen blinds)

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Instructions

1. Preheat + Set the Scene

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with papers (or grease it well if you’re feeling brave and rustic).

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a bowl, whisk together:

• flour

• baking powder

• cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg

Set aside.

3. Cream the Butter + Sugars

In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or your hand mixer, or for the buff guys and gals, get all up in there with a whisk!), cream together:

• butter

• brown sugar

• caster sugar

• vanilla

• salt

Beat until light and fluffy. I find this takes a couple of minutes in the stand mixer, adjust for your own tools and process.

4. Add Eggs + Pumpkin

Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the pumpkin purée and mix until everything well combined.

5. Bring It Together

Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk + tablespoon of whole milk, stirring gently until just incorporated.

Muffins do not want to be overworked. They want tenderness. Same same, lah.

6. Fold in Apples + Walnuts

Fold in the chopped apples and walnuts. The batter will look generous and chunky in the best way.

7. Fill + Crumble

Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling about ¾ full. I use an icecream scoop to try and be consistent, but as you can see from the photo, I’m still all over the shop with wonky sizes.

Sprinkle the tops with the crumble, or leave sans crown.

8. Bake!

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until tops are golden brown. My batch was ready at about 25 minutes, so watch them and insert a toothpick into the middle to see if they are done all the way. A clean toothpick is a cooked muffin.

I do recommend putting a pan or tinfoil on the bottom of your oven to catch the bubbly goodness that might spill over from the topping.

Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

This recipe is inspired by KitchenSink Blog.