Pumpkin Pie Muffins

Over the years that I have been writing cookbooks and this blog, I have been on a journey.

Part of this journey has introduced me to ingredients that I had never heard of before. Some of these ingredients have changed the way that my family and I eat (oat flour, coconut palm sugar, date paste, and on and on). Some have not been good fits for us. (I'll keep those to myself in case they're on your new favorites list.)

Friends have brought new ingredients into my kitchen. For example, Ricki Heller and Amy Green encouraged me to try stevia through their creative recipes found in their books (Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free and Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, respectively) and websites.

I'd like to introduce you to a new friend, Debbie Adler and the ingredient she brought into my kitchen.

In her beautiful new book, Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats: Allergy-free & Vegan Recipes from the Famous Los Angeles Bakery, Debbie Adler crafts cookies, cupcakes, donut holes and muffins from organic whole food ingredients and using low-glycemic sweeteners.  Each of the recipes is vegan, gluten-free and free of the top 8 allergens.

I was particularly intrigued by Debbie's use of coconut nectar. She frequently combines coconut nectar with powdered stevia to provide her recipes with some natural sweetness. I had never tried coconut nectar before trying these recipes, and I am so glad Debbie brought this sweetener into my repertoire. It has a caramel-like sweetness and a syrupy consistency. Yum!

We made a couple of recipes from the book, Pumpkin Pie Muffins and Oatmeal Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies. Both were hits with my boys. They had a nice consistency and good flavor, though, neither was overly sweet.

Debbie is generously offering her Pumpkin Pie Muffin recipe to us, and one lucky reader will win a copy of her cookbook.

Pumpkin Pie Muffins (as featured in Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats, used with permission)
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons sodium-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon guar gum
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• 3/8 teaspoon stevia powder
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup unsweetened plain rice milk
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper baking cups.
2. Whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum and salt in a large bowl. make a well in the middle.
3. Add the grapeseed oil, coconut nectar and stevia and stir to combine. Add the pumpkin puree and rice milk, and stir until the liquid is absorbed and the batter is smooth.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, dividing it evenly. Each cup should be about three-quarters full. Dust the top of each with a sprinkling of cinnamon.
5. Bake the muffins for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden orange and bounce back slightly to the touch. Rotate the muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking.
6. Transfer the muffin tin from the oven to a wire rack and let sit for about 10 minutes before removing the muffins to cool completely.
7. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book to review, but the opinions here are my own.  I did not receive any other compensation.

Happy Cooking!
Kim

My new book,  Ancient Grains: A Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Millet, Oats, Spelt, Farro, Sorghum & Teff (Superfoods for Life), is available now! Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.