Pumpkin Banana Muffins (Gluten free, Egg free, Dairy free, Vegan)

If you're looking for a clean eatin', gluten free, egg free, dairy free, vegan muffin you've come to the right place. These muffins have conquered the impossible. They are so moist and flavorful despite being gluten and egg free.

This is pretty much the only muffin I make these days. This recipe is a great way to use up all my ripe bananas, they're a hit with all my kids, and they're very versatile. To keep things from getting too boring I rotate between adding chopped up apple, mini wild blueberries, and mini chocolate chips to the batter. Even though I use the same base recipe each time my kids feel like they're always getting something new. I do have to note that I am quite opposed to chocolate chips in muffins. The flavor is just wrong to me and I don't think chocolate chips belong in breakfast food. So why I add them to these muffins on occasion is beside me. I guess I love to see the joy on my kids faces when they see chocolate chips in their muffins. I don't know. My favorite way to eat them is without any mix-ins but with pecan pieces sprinkled on top. I'm smart enough to know to only make a few of those per batch though since they aren't very popular with anyone else.

This recipe is quite large, yielding two dozen muffins, so feel free to half it if a smaller batch works better for your family. I like doing a large batch so I can use a whole can of pumpkin without any leftover and I like having some muffins to freeze for a later day.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

nourishing-bites.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

6 overripe bananas

15 ounce can pumpkin (I like this kind)

2/3 cup coconut oil, softened or melted

1 cup honey or pure maple syrup

3 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups oat flour (I like this kind)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice

Mix-ins of choice (optional): Pecans, peeled and diced apple, wild blueberries, mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Using a stand mixer, potato masher, or fork mash bananas until smooth. Add pumpkin and coconut oil and stir until well combined. Stir in honey or maple syrup and vanilla. 

2. Combine dry ingredients. Add them to banana-pumpkin mixture and stir until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Stir in mix-ins if adding.

3. Add batter to parchment lined muffin cups.  Makes 2 dozen muffins.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 27-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container. Eat within two days. Freezes well.

Printable recipe

-Amy

Pumpkin Pie Custard

I love custard! Loooove it!

I loved it so much as a girl that when I was just nine years old my mother taught me how to make a simple four ingredient custard using the classic red and white gingham Better Homes and Garden cookbook. I learned pretty quick how to make it all by myself and loved that I could whip up one of my favorite treats all on my own. It's still one of my favorite recipes. Since my nine-year-old baking days I've branched out a little with my custard recipes. One of the favorites around our home now is this Pumpkin Pie Custard. I usually make up a double batch every week. My kids love to eat it as a morning snack and this past summer we found we loved the leftover custard in the fridge for a quick and easy breakfast. I love the pumpkin flavor blended with that classic eggy-custardy flavor. It's the perfect combination

This recipe is easy to whip together, the kids love it, and it's full of good for you ingredients. You really can't go wrong with this one!

Pumpkin Pie Custard
nourishingbites.blogspot.com

(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted and cooled

1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (if using canned pumpkin this should equal one full can)

1/3 - 1/2 cup honey or pure maple syrup (I stick with 1/3 cup but you can up it for a sweeter taste)

1/2 cup milk kefir, plain whole milk yogurt, or coconut milk (optional)

1/3 cup almond flour (I like Wellbee's for it's fine texture)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon Real Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Add eggs to large bowl and whisk. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

3. Pour mixture into a buttered 8 x 8 baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Best served cold.

Printable recipe


-Amy

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast.  I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.  It's been my go-to breakfast fall through spring since I was in high school.  I just love a warm bowl of oatmeal with a cold glass of milk when the weather is chilly.  Over the last few years I've tried a few new oatmeal recipes and this overnight apple cinnamon oatmeal is one of my favorites.  Hearty oatmeal with big chunks of sweet apples, yum!  It has a texture that reminds me of rice pudding.  Not only is it delicious and healthy but it's ready, warm, and waiting for you first thing in the morning--what a treat! Oatmeal is also high in fiber, full of antioxidants, boots the immune system, and is gluten free.

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

nourishing-bites.blogspot.com

2 apples peeled and sliced into 1/2" chunks

2 cups milk of choice 

1 cup water

1 cup steel-cut oats (old fashioned oats and quick oats will not work)

2 tablespoons sweetener (real maple syrup, coconut sugar, sucanat)

2 tablespoons butter (preferably grass-fed) cut into 4-5 pieces

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir to combine.  Turn to low and allow to cook 7-9 hours (I usually turn my slow cooker on right before I go to bed).  The next morning dish into a bowl and add a few tablespoons of milk and additional sweetener if desired.

Printable recipe


-Amy 

Soaked Oatmeal

Oatmeal.  Love this stuff.  I could seriously eat it for breakfast every morning.  Oh wait, I do.  My 18 month old and I are oatmeal buddies.  We love our oatmeal in the morning.  

What are the benefits to soaking your oatmeal?  

All grains, beans and legumes contain something called phytic acid in the outer layer or bran.  This phytic acid can block absorption of essential vitamins and minerals in your food.  Soaking allows enzymes to break down and neutralize a large portion of the phytic acid so you can absorb the minerals in your food. Soaking also allows gluten and other hard to digest proteins to become more easily digestible.

This recipe has become a favorite of mine.  I love the soaking method because not only does it make your breakfast more nutrient dense and easy to digest but it creates a deliciously smooth and creamy oatmeal that cooks up in mere minutes.  I like to start my next batch soaking while I'm cooking my oatmeal every morning.   It's a great way to muti-task.

Soaked Oatmeal
nourishing-bites.blogspot.com
(adapted from this recipe)

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups filtered water

2 tablespoons chia seeds*

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons wheat or spelt flour

pinch of salt

1. 12 to 24 hours before breakfast combine all your ingredients into a mason jar and cover.

2. In the morning pour contents from mason jar into a pot and add another 1.5 - 2 cups water.

3.  Cook on medium high heat until oatmeal comes to a boil and thickens, about five minutes, stirring regularly.

4. Serve with your favorite toppings.  We love to add a little bit of ghee and raw honey to ours.  Delicious!

Printable Recipe


-Amy

*Chia seeds are chock full of healthy omega fats, protein, antioxidants, and dietary fiber.