Pumpkin Muffins

Paleo, vegan, grain-free, flourless 

Am I the only one that isn't completely sick of pumpkin everything yet? I sure hope not! I could honestly eat pumpkin spice something or other every single day, and these muffins definitely hit the spot! Best of all, they are completely flourless but still maintain a light and fluffy texture. 
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​Most vegan and/or paleo muffins recipes are a bit of a flop in my opinion. They are usually too dense, mostly due to heavy flours like almond or coconut. I knew there had be be an easier way though! I've had success with my flourless chocolate zucchini muffins so I had a feeling that I could modify that recipe to satisfy my pumpkin obsession and it totally worked! 

I also made these vegan as I am intolerant to eggs. One egg will easily send me into an eczema flare for days. So I usually stick to flax or chia eggs in my baking. I do tolerate duck eggs and can easily substitute those in my baking, however I generally like to save those for eating on their own because they are so tasty! All that to say, if you are not vegan and do not have an egg intolerance you can most definitely use regular eggs in this recipes and they will turn out great! 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups almond butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 
• 2 flax eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (for topping, amount will vary on how much you use per muffin)

​Method
Preheat oven to 350º. Make flax eggs (see below) and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together almond butter, pumpkin, maple syrup and vanilla. Add flax eggs once correct consistency is obtained. Add remaining ingredients; the baking soda and vinegar will bubble when combined and that is normal. Stir until fully combined. 

Line a mini muffin pan with muffin liners and fill almost to the top. The muffins will rise slightly. Top with chopped walnuts. 

Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy! Note: these freeze very well and to do take too long to thaw. 

Flax eggs:
Whisk together 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds with 3 tbsp of water to make 1 flax eggs. Set for 5 minutes until an egg-like consistency is obtained.