{RECIPE} Pumpkin Oat Muffins
As the temperatures continue to drop and the Winter Solstice draws near, my oven and stove seem to be fired up non-stop. All I want to do is bake, braise, stew and roast. In colder weather our bodies experience changes in energy levels, metabolism, and food preferences. We tend to crave foods that warm and comfort us. This can be a time of great challenge for many of us, reaching for foods that are higher in sugar for extra energy or for more processed foods for ease during the busy holiday season. One way to embrace these challenges is to plan ahead. If you have a lot of events and holiday shopping to do, prepare meals in advance and stock up on healthy, whole food snacks to grab on the fly. If you have a ton of holiday parties on your agenda, offer to bring a dish so you can keep an eye on ingredients. Make big pots of soup and freeze servings for chilly nights when you don’t feel like cooking something big. Use warming spices and seasonal, organic foods to keep inflammation low and boost a sluggish immune system.
On a recent rainy morning, I baked up a batch of moist, warming muffins that provided all the comfort without a ton of sugar or gluten. Bonus points for heating my house from the warmth of the oven and filling the air with the rich, cozy fragrances of spice and pumpkin. This alone, calmed my nervous system and warmed my body and soul. I imagine you could mix these up a million ways, by using whatever kind of squash you have on hand, canned or fresh. If you are working from a fresh pumpkin, make sure you allow extra time to roast it and let it cool completely before whipping up your muffins. Some chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, dried cranberries, pomegranate arils, candied pumpkin seeds and/or chocolate or carob chips would also make yummy additions. So start with the basics, and let your creativity fly from there!
Pumpkin Oat Muffins
Yields 12 muffins
Ingredients
1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt (options: goat or sheep yogurt, coconut yogurt, kefir)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (options: canned butternut squash or fresh, roasted squash/pumpkin)
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (options: date sugar, maple syrup)
2 eggs (option: for vegan egg replacement ideas https://detoxinista.com/how-to-make-flax-eggs-or-chia-eggs/)
2 cups gluten-free oats (rolled, quick, old-fashioned… whatever!)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground clove
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw or toasted pumpkin seeds, plus extra for topping
Method
Preheat oven to 400º and lightly grease muffin pan with butter, ghee or avocado oil.
Add all ingredients except pumpkin seeds to a blender or food processor and blend on high until batter is creamy. If you like a bit more texture (me too!!) blend until oats are broken down but not completely smooth. Turn off blender or processor and add pumpkin seeds, stirring in with a spoon or silicone spatula.
Pour batter into muffin pan, leaving about a 1/4 of an inch space for each muffin to rise. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until the muffin tops have risen and set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes away clean.
Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 8-10 minutes. Slather with ghee, grass-fed butter or cultured cream cheese.
Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
