pinned it. did it. {with meg}
liz lamoreux
Meg's sharing another recipe today! It's perfect for this time of year and for those of us who want to try cooking without gluten but keep wondering if what we make will really taste as good as we hope.
****
It’s no secret that I like things made with pumpkin. And with it being the holiday season and just after Thanksgiving here in the U.S., I’m tempted to have a pumpkin treat each day. It just seems festive and appropriate. So I decided to start with a recipe that I’ve been wanting to try for a long time now - and I am so glad I did.
These pumpkin mini muffins are grain-free. They are also dairy-free and refined sugar-free. I admit to being a bit skeptical of the end result. As someone who has been in and out of various dietary restrictions over the years, I have had my fair share of disappointing baked goods. However, I was thrilled at the outcome of these muffins. They are incredibly soft, fluffy, spongy, and bare no resemblance to any dense or gritty grain-free recipe I’ve tried thus far. I would serve these to anyone and am willing to bet that no one would realize that they are not the typical flour and sugar made muffin.
In our house, we love Justin’s Almond Butter**. In this recipe, I used the honey almond butter. The end result has a very subtle nutty taste, much less noticeable than if I’d used peanut butter. We did not have mini chocolate chips on hand, so we sprinkled the tops of a few with regular chocolate chips. (Keep in mind if you are dairy-free or have allergies, you will obviously need to use something like the chocolate chips made from Enjoy Life. They are dairy, nut, gluten, and soy free). These muffins are also delicious without the chocolate chips. They would be great with the addition of chopped nuts or a touch of cream cheese-type filling. There are so many possibilities for expanding this recipe.
They whip up with only 8 ingredients (9 with the chocolate) in the blender and bake at a very quick 7-8 minutes. They also keep nicely in the freezer for up to 4 months. I will be baking a few batches at a time and freezing them for a quick breakfast in the cold months to come.
What pumpkin goods have you been making lately? Are you enjoying the pumpkin season as much as I am or are you someone who doesn’t care for it? Wishing you all in the U.S. a happy Thanksgiving this week and sending love to our readers all around the globe.
**This almond butter can be expensive. We find really good deals at regular grocery stores and health food stores. I got two 16oz jars on a buy one get one free sale at my regular grocery store for $10 so be sure to watch the sales!**
Meg Brothers is an artist, photographer, mama, and dreamer. She loves cooking, tattoos, and sporadic dance parties in the kitchen. She prefers dark chocolate, black coffee, and flip flops when weather permits. She is a lover of Pinterest and truly believes in integrating ideas and inspiration - big or small - into normal life. Meg lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Dustin and son, Julian. Meg writes about photography, family, and creative inspiration at megbrothers.com. Find her on Pinterest here and on Twitter here.
***
Note from Liz: Over here in my corner, I'm trying to "use Pinterest for good." I really see it as a community of people trying to see the beauty and possibility in their lives. I'm adding a few new features here on my blog inspired by or directly about Pinterest as a way to invite others to look for this beauty within a social media community. Connect with me on Pinterest here. Read other "Pinned it. Did it." columns here.