Pomegranate Pecan Muffins

Dotted with a hint of rich pecans and vibrant pomegranate arils, these Pomegranate Pecan Muffins are subtle but satisfying. Make some today!

It feels like we blinked and time zipped from mid-summer to mid-fall. How did that happen? Weren’t we just dwelling in the endless days of summer? With this in mind, I cautiously have to tell you that before we know it, Thanksgiving will arrive and usher in the holiday season.

For my family, that means hosting meals and guests. It’s also Nutcracker season in our house, when my daughter will tour Maine with her dance company performing for full houses everywhere. All of that is a way to say that we are in desperate need of good, easy, make-ahead foods both for those visiting us and for Paige to take on the road.

Enter these muffins. Pomegranate comes into season just as the holidays arrive. And pecans always remind me of pecan pie (and pies are a Thanksgiving must). So when I was envisioning a new muffin flavor to share, I decided to come pomegranate and pecans.

Now, I know I mentioned pie, but I want to be clear that these muffins aren’t overly sweet. Moderately sweet muffins are my jam, so that’s what you have here. And the combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar means that these have a slight richness to them as well. It’s delightful.

Making these is a simple one-bowl affair. You mix your dry ingredients and whisk them together (this is essentially sifting them together. Then add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Finally, fold in the pomegranate arils and pecans.

Then the batter is divided evenly among muffin papers (hint: use a large cookie scoop for ease and less mess). And the muffins are dusted with coarse sugar — if desired — before baking to perfection.

Now, a note on the pomegranate arils. You can use either fresh or frozen. Both will work equally well. I’ve found that for ease and storage, I love keeping the frozen ones on hand for uses like this. They are quite easy.

All that’s left is the eating. Dig into the muffins with all the glee they deserve. These Pomegranate Pecan Muffins are a delight to serve warm. Slather them with butter if that’s something you’re into.

Now, onto the rest of autumn. May time slow down for us a bit along the way.