I confess I am not much of a breakfast person and never have been. Yet there is too much evidence that proves the importance of an energy dense breakfast with carbohydrates, fats and protein to not give it some effort. A good meal in the morning is integral for fast and clear thinking, for keeping the metabolism in good working order and for replenishing energy stores in our muscles, keeping us ready for action.
My solution is to have something healthy like these muffins around that I can grab and eat at my convenience. The main ingredients are pumpkin and oats. Pumpkin is a very notable source of vitamin A, and has a respectable amount of several other nutrients. Not many vegetables are as enticing in baking as pumpkin, making it a secret weapon for healthy bakers everywhere. Oats are also generally harvested in the fall and they are a perfect comfort food as the temperatures outside start to drop. They are very filling and provide good amounts of several B vitamins and minerals including manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc.
- Wet ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 28 oz can puréed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup apple sauce (or 2 peeled and cored apples cooked and mashed)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients
- 2½ cups oats
- 2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour (I like the Bob's Red Mill brand)
- ¾ cups pecans
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup palm sugar or raw sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- Optional: ½ cup raisins or dried apple pieces
- Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together all the wet ingredients in a large bowl until fully combined. Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl then fold them into the wet ingredients and continue stirring until there are no dry lumps left and the batter is nice and thick. Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins, filling them around three quarters full. Bake for 25 minutes and check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a couple different muffins. If it comes out clean they are ready, if it has some batter on it they need 4-5 more minutes. Once they are cool enough to touch place the muffins directly onto a cooling rack, if they are left in the tins as they cool the bottoms can become a bit soggy.