Pumpkin Muffins
My husband says that fall is lovely for a week or so but then it’s a slow and sometimes sad prelude to winter. He is singing a different tune today as he tasted my beautifully orange PUMPKIN MUFFINS and knows there are more pumpkin creations on the way.
These muffins are moist in the center, reminiscent of a pumpkin pie. I like to use pumpkin wherever I can because it offers a good deal of betacarotene and antioxidants. Even if you can tolerate eggs, this is a great recipe to try flax meal, which I often use as an egg substitute. Flax seeds offer special fiber, fats and a lot more. I double this recipe because they freeze well, but honestly it is so I can eat as many as I want and not feel like I am stealing the kids' muffins!
These simple pumpkin muffins are gluten free, filled with healthy fat and protein, and contain no cane sugar. Our boys ate pumpkin muffins this morning topped with organic pasture butter. They thought they were starting their day with dessert. Truth is they were really getting a nutrient-rich breakfast (including a veggie!). Win win.
Once you've gotten your fill, head over to our other pumpkin post, Pumpkin Power: Seeing Beyond the Pie, to learn more about this amazing autumn gourd.
Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 8-10 muffins
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups almond flour
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs, whipped OR 3 tablespoons ground flax meal mixed well in 4 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or combo of ground ginger, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup coconut or palm sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus more for coating pan
Directions:
For this recipe, I strongly suggest using paper muffin liners because the batter is moist and does not come out of the muffin tin easily.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix 3 tablespoons of ground flax seed meal with 6 tablespoons of water. Whisk well and let sit for 5 minutes. If using eggs, whisk them together in a small bowl.
Mix wet ingredients together in a bowl.
Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Combine wet and dry ingredients together and mix well.
Pour evenly into muffin tins, filling the muffin batter just barely to the top of each muffin mold/liner.
Bake muffins on middle rack. Bake 30 minutes for egg-based muffins. Bake 35-40 minutes for flax-based muffins. The muffins will appear dark because the batter is dark, but be careful not to brown too darkly.
These muffins will be heavier and softer in the middle than most muffins.
