Spelt and Oat Pumpkin Muffins

Happy Autumn! While I waited until it was truly fall in late September to start enjoying fall foods, I am completely embracing and enjoying fall tastes with apples, winter squash, and of course pumpkin. I do have to say though, that while at Trader Joe’s last week, the amount of processed pumpkin foods on every end cap and stand in the store was scarier than anything I will encounter on Halloween.
Anyway, I am so excited to share this recipe! While I love my gluten free almond meal pumpkin muffins, the texture of these new ones really hit the spot with Sunday brunch this past week. I actually adapted it from a pumpkin cookie recipe and originally intended to put chocolate chips and nuts inside the batter but was distracted with other food prep. I am happy I forgot because the drizzled chocolate and crushed maple chia nuts on top add a little crunch to the light, fluffy and tender  texture of this delicious pumpkin spice muffin.

Oat and Spelt Pumpkin Muffins (V, DF)
Yields: 10 Muffins
Ingredients:
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax, 2 tbsp water)
1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1/4 cup cashew or other non dairy milk
3/4 C pumpkin puree (from baked or store bought)
1.5 small or 1 very large extra ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C dry rolled or quick oats
1 C { 140 grams} whole grain spelt flour (like Arrowhead Mills)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Optional:
2-3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips, melted (like Pascha 85%, organic & fair trade)
1/8-1/4 Cup chopped maple chia pecans & walnuts
Directions:
Set oven to 375 degrees F
In a ramekin or small bowl, mix ground flax with water and let sit 1-2 minutes
Mix all wet ingredients into bowl, mashing the banana with a fork
With an electric hand mixer, blend the wet ingredients 1-2 minutes or until banana is well mixed
In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together
Slowly incorporate the dry into the wet mixture and mix with hand mixer, but do not over blend
Pour batter evenly to make 10 muffins in a non stick muffin tin
Bake for about 20 minutes
Let cool about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack

If desired (obviously it’s desired), drizzle melted dark chocolate over the muffins and sprinkle nuts on top of it before it hardens. 
Plate and serve warm for optimal yumminess! Still delish once they are cooled off.
Store in a container in the fridge for up to a week or even in freezer bags for later.

Nutrition Information (plain without toppings):
Serving Size: 1 Muffin
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Calories: 125
Total Fat: 1.5 g
Saturated Fat: <0.5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 25 g
Fiber: 5 g
Sugar: 8 g
Protein: 4 g
Sodium: 125 mg   5 %
Potassium: 150 mg 3%
Vitamin A: 16 %            Thiamin: 12 %        Riboflavin: 13 %
Niacin: 5 %                   Vitamin B6: 4%       Vitamin B12: 3%
Folate: 8 %                   Vitamin C: 3 %        Vitamin E: 2 %
Calcium: 5 %                Iron: 6 %                 Zinc: 3%
Magnesium: 3 %          Phosphorus: 2 %
**Vitamins & minerals are listed as % daily value; you may need more than 100% each day if you’re an athlete, have a deficiency disease, or other medical concerns.