Healthy? You bet -- pumpkins (rich in B-vitamins and minerals), high-fiber teff, protein-packed almond meal or amaranth flour, and omega-3-rich hemp milk. Tasty? My three-year-old asked for "eleventeen" of them (and ate six in two days) -- and let's face it, three-year-olds aren't exactly known for their tact when faced with foods they don't like. These are simple, quick, and great for weekend mornings or afterschool snacktimes.
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend (see ingredient note)
- 1/2 cup almond flour or amaranth flour
- 1/2 cup teff flour
- 1/2 cup white rice flour
- 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 c brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 c hemp milk or rice milk
- 1/4 c (1/2 stick) dairy-free margarine, melted
- 1 c canned pumpkin purée or cooked puréed pumpkin
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a bowl, combine all flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, spices, and sugar.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add eggs, milk, and margarine. Fold to mix, then fold in pumpkin. Mix until ingredients are barely combined and the dry ingredients are wet. (This will not make a smooth batter.)
- Fill 18 lined muffin tins about 2/3 of the way full. (If you prefer not to line them, you can grease the tin, or use a silicon muffin pan.) If you have empty compartments in your pan, fill them with a small amount of water (about 1/4 cup) for even heating.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until muffins are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool before removing. Serve immediately.
To reheat muffins: Place leftover muffins on an oven-safe dish. Heat oven to 300 F, then turn off. Allow muffins to sit in the warm oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Ingredient note: I made these with a gluten-free flour blend that's available locally in Pittsburgh or online. Good substitutes would include Dean Lavornia's flour blend from my colleague Teri Gruss's site, or Authentic Foods' Bette's Gourmet Featherlight Flour Blend plus one extra teaspoon of xanthan gum above and beyond the amount already in the recipe (the Gluuteny and Lavornia mixes include xanthan gum). Not avoiding dairy? Feel free to use milk and butter instead of hemp milk and margarine.
