a pan of Pumpkin Muffins topped with Honeycomb Sunflower Kernels


 

I am happy to report that, since the girls have been in school for almost a full month now, we’ve been sticking very tightly to our goal of packing unique lunches and snacks. What I’ve found to be the key to including something fun and tasty each and every day is simply this:

Have plenty of things that meet that criteria on hand!

That does take some planning, for sure. But it is so worth the effort. The kids feel better about their food choices and themselves. And I feel better sending them out the door for the day, knowing their energy for body and mind is coming from good stuff.

a bag of Nature Box Honeycomb Sunflower Kernels

Besides purchasing a variety of fresh fruits and veggies each week, I make sure to have plenty of fun snack choices in the pantry, too.

Do you know about NatureBox?

For a long time, I had been hearing alot of praise for NatureBox snacks. But it wasn’t until this past summer that I actually got to munch on them, when I stopped by the NatureBox booth at the BlogHer conference in Chicago. Everything I tried there, plus the items they sent home with me for later, was very fresh and very tasty. And I got seriously excited about the variety of snacks available. There are so many awesome sounding choices; I want to try them all!!

NatureBox snacks are made from wholesome ingredients that are minimally processed, if at all. They are delivered right to your door, in easy to use resealable bags, and promise to have:

  • No high fructose corn syrup
  • No partially hydrogenated oils
  • No artificial sweeteners
  • No artificial flavors
  • No trans fats
a Pumpkin Muffin with butter and sunflower seeds

NatureBox’s snacks are a perfect choice for easy snacking, but they are also great for using in recipes like this one for Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Honeycomb Sunflower Kernels. I’ve always had a thing for sunflower seeds, and was immediately drawn to this snack bag. As I was baking up pumpkin muffins this past week, I knew I wanted to try adding a little crunch to them. The sunflower kernels, just slightly sweetened, did the trick beautifully.

a pan of Pumpkin Muffins on a cooling rack

These muffins have served our family as breakfast, a lunch box snack, and an after school treat. They are moist and delicious with fall spiced pumpkin, and the honeycomb sunflower kernels make them extra tasty and a more than just a little bit fun.

a pan of Pumpkin Muffins on a cooling rack

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Honeycomb Sunflower Kernels

Yield: 12 muffins
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 16 minutes
total time: 26 minutes
These muffins have served our family as breakfast, a lunch box snack, and an after school treat.
5 Stars (1 Review)
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Ingredients

  • 1-2/3 c. white whole wheat flour
  • 1 c. packed brown sugar
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. allspice
  • ⅛ tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin not pre-spiced
  • ½ c. butter melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • ½ c. NatureBox Honeycomb Sunflower Kernels

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Spray a standard muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking liners. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.
  • In another medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, butter, and eggs. Then stir in the vanilla. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Divide batter between the 12 prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops of muffins with NatureBox Honeycomb Sunflower Kernels, pressing them into the batter just a bit. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or just until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake. Remove muffins from pan to cool on a wire rack.

Notes

from a farmgirl’s dabbles

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 411kcal Carbohydrates: 62g Protein: 11g Fat: 15g Saturated Fat: 6g Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 51mg Sodium: 947mg Fiber: 8g Sugar: 16g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
© Brenda | A Farmgirl’s Dabbles
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by NatureBox. All opinions are my own.