Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g rolled oats, old-fashioned, not quick oats
- 120 g light brown sugar, packed
- 8 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 3 g kosher salt
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 240 g butternut squash puree, unsweetened, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 120 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 80 ml neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 60 g candied ginger, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 192 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 27 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 260 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 32 mg
- Potassium
- 118 mg
- Calcium
- 94 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 59 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 131 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 12 mcg
- Water
- 35 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk the butternut squash puree, eggs, whole milk, neutral oil, and vanilla extract until completely smooth.
Pour the wet squash mixture into the dry oat mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together gently until just barely combined. A few streaks of dry flour should still be visible.
Add the finely chopped candied ginger to the batter and gently fold two or three times until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Optional: sprinkle a small pinch of extra rolled oats on top of each for texture.
Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake at 200 C/400 F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 190 C/375 F and continue baking for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Starting with a blast of high heat at 200 C activates the leavening agents rapidly to create tall, domed tops. Reducing the heat ensures the centers bake evenly without drying out the exterior.
- If making your own butternut squash puree, roast halved squashes face down on a baking sheet at 200 C until fork tender, then scoop and blend. Roasting concentrates the sweetness and adds earthiness compared to steaming.
- Do not skip resting the batter if time permits. Allowing the batter to sit in the muffin tin for 15 minutes before baking hydrates the oats properly, resulting in a significantly more tender crumb.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag.
Reheating: Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or warm in a 175 C oven for 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Muffins are dense, tough, and lack a tender crumb.
Cause: Overmixing the batter developed the gluten in the flour.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold wet and dry ingredients gently until just combined; a few streaks of flour should remain before adding mix-ins.
Muffins are pale and did not rise into a dome shape.
Cause: Oven temperature was too low or leavening agents were expired.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure baking powder and soda are fresh. Always start the bake at the initial high temperature to activate the rise.
Cultural Context
Muffins evolved from English yeast-leavened breads into the quick bread format popular in North America during the 18th and 19th centuries, largely due to the invention of chemical leavening agents like baking powder. Utilizing seasonal autumn produce like butternut squash draws on indigenous American agricultural traditions where winter squashes were a vital sustenance crop. Adding the sharp, warming bite of candied ginger introduces a global spice trade influence, elevating the humble squash with layers of aromatic complexity.
