I’m a little late to the party but with autumn officially in full swing, that means pumpkin is everywhere! It finally gets it’s time to shine – but we all know pumpkin is amazing all year round. Let me break it down for you:
It is actually a top source vitamin A. As a breastfeeding mom, Vitamin A in your milk can be changed by your diet! Ever wonder how sometimes your milk can take on an orangey colour? Yep. Vitamin A. If anyone changes their breastmilk orange with these muffins… document that sh*t!
Pumpkin also is a fantastic source of iron. All things pumpkin – purée, seeds, or seed butter. Same as the family it comes from – squashes! The iron in your breastmilk is constant (and for a reason – to protect your little one’s gut health!), but it is crucial for rebuilding your own iron stores that you so conveniently gave to your baby in pregnancy.
Okay enough of my rant on pumpkin. What about the protein piece? It’s actually just a bonus that these muffins pack a lot of protein, thanks to eggs. Why is it a bonus and not the focus? Because eggs are SO much more than protein. My favourite nutrient in eggs is actually CHOLINE. It is so important for your little one’s brain and nervous system development. Plus if you suffer from clogged ducts – choline may also help you out (but please get to the bottom of why those clogs happen!).
Pumpkin, eggs, and a little bit of a few other things. That’s it. Combine everything in the blender and good to go! My kind of baking. Bonus breastfeeding snack perk is these muffins are not super crumbly, so you’re less likely to drop crumbs on your little while you eat! But let’s be honest… it’ll probably happen.
Want to make these muffins a lactation muffin? Some ideas for you:
- Sub in oat flour for some or all of the chickpea flour.
- Just use 1 cup of chickpea flour and sub in 3 Tbsp brewer’s yeast and 5 Tbsp ground flax.
- Add in large flake oats after you blend to make pumpkin oatmeal muffins.
But remember: make sure you are seeking out WHY you have low supply (if you are seeking to actually increase supply) and do not rely on food alone to do this. Lactogenic foods are just an added bonus to the journey of keeping yourself nourished!
Enjoy!
PUMPKIN PROTEIN MUFFINS RECIPE
Servings: 24 muffins
Total time: 25 minutes
- 1 798mL can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpin pie filing)
- 12 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups chickpea/bean flour
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp allspice
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking soda
- Chopped walnuts or pecans on top (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line muffin tins or grease muffin tins.
Add all ingredients except walnuts or pecans to a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour batter into tins evenly. Sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans on top.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool or enjoy warm. Store in the fridge in a sealed container wrapped in paper towel for best freshness (switch out paper towel daily).
