Physical Properties, Nutritional Composition and Sensory Acceptance of Eggless Pumpkin Muffin Prepared using Plant-Based Ingredients

Abstract

Eggs play a crucial role in the production of muffins by contributing to their moistness and tenderness. However, several issues arise with using eggs in muffin formulation, such as egg allergies and the sustainability of egg supply in the market. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of incorporating plant-based ingredients (chia seeds, flaxseeds and mashed banana) in eggless pumpkin muffin formulations on physical properties, nutritional composition and sensory acceptance. Four samples were prepared as follows: Control (muffin with egg), F1 (muffin with chia seeds), F2 (muffin with flaxseeds) and F3 (muffin with mashed banana). The samples were analysed for batter density, muffin height, texture profile analysis, muffin crumb colour, nutritional composition and sensory preference using a nine-point hedonic scale. Generally, muffins prepared with plant-based ingredients showed a decrease in height (3.97–3.83 cm) and water activity (0.88–0.89) compared to the control muffins (4.37 cm and 0.90, respectively). On the contrary, the batter density of wet batter eggless pumpkin muffins increased compared to those prepared with egg. The replacement of egg with plant-based ingredients resulted in muffins with a harder texture, as indicated by the increased hardness values compared to the control muffin. The use of plant-based ingredients in pumpkin muffin formulations produced muffins with a lighter colour due to the absence of colour pigments in chia seeds, flaxseeds and mashed banana. The inclusion of plant-based ingredients in eggless pumpkin muffin formulations increased the ash, fibre and carbohydrate content while decreasing the fat content. Overall, the preference test revealed that eggless pumpkin muffins prepared using chia seeds (6.93) and mashed banana (7.58) rated higher for overall acceptance attribute as compared to the control pumpkin muffin.