Pumpkin Oat Muffin
Our family has loved watching the season change to fall, lots of orange color, first fires in the fireplace, and fresh pressed apple cider. Pumpkins of all sorts of sizes and colors have been arriving at our Farmers Market and we picked up a couple last week. Kabocha squash happens to be one of my favorites for its deep orange and sweet buttery flavor.
We have also been making pumpkin oat muffins for the last week and wanted to share our recipe.
PREPERATION
Bake the whole Kabocha squash in the oven for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees. (a fork should easily penetrate once done).
Measure out 1 1/2 cups of thick oats and add to a food processor pulsing till flour-like. It should yield 1 1/4 cup of oat flour.
Allow squash to cool and scoop the flesh out of the cavity. Place into the food processor and pulse for a minute so that the squash becomes smooth with small clumps. Measure out one cup for the muffins and put the rest in a glass container for later use (more muffins or possibly a creamy soup with chicken broth and coconut milk?)
Pumpkin Oat Muffin
Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin pan (I use this cooking spray)
Makes one dozen muffins
1 cup cooked and pureed pumpkin (canned would work as well)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons yogurt
3 tablespoons maple sugar
3 tablespoon Swerve Sweetener
1 1/4 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 chocolate chips (optional)
Combine pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, yogurt, and sweeteners in food processor and pulse.
In a separate bowel combine oat flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Stir until well combined.
Add flour mixture to food processor and pulse gently until combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
Distribute evenly in muffin tin and bake for 17-20 minutes, until golden brown on top. ENJOY!
Swerve Sweetener is one of my go to sugars, because of the oligosaccharides, a prebiotic that feeds the good bugs in our large intestine. There has been some research linking oligosaccharides to improved immune function in preschool age children. As we move into the winter months I use add it to the sweetener rotation, along with maple syrup, honey, and stevia. They also have a confectioners option, great for pancakes and icings.