Butternut Squash and Cranberry Muffins

This squash family that was living in my kitchen was roasted last week and is now in my freezer for future use. Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall foods and makes its way to our table a couple times a week during the season. If you haven’t tried butternut squash, it is extremely versatile and very healthy. Loaded with fiber, Vitamin A and beta carotene. Butternut squash can be used as a substitute in any recipe that calls for pumpkin.

That is what I did in this recipe. I found it in one of my Cooking Light magazines several years ago and have adapted the recipe a little.

Butternut Squash and Cranberry Muffins
adapted from this recipe in Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries (could also use raisins)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup roasted butternut squash
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, ginger and salt in a bowl. Mix well and stir in cranberries.

In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, butternut squash, buttermilk, veg. oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs. Stir well with a wisk.

Add the squash mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moist.

Coat muffin pans with baking spray and spoon batter into pan. Makes about 12-18 muffins.

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan immediately and cool on a rack.

If there are any left, these do freeze well. They make a great grab-n-go breakfast.

Some of my previous fall squash posts:

• How to Roast a Butternut Squash
• Cranberry Walnut Acorn Squash Bowls