pumpkin oat blender muffins

Healthy, easy muffins that are vegan, oil-free, gf, low calories. They are also moist, tender, lightly sweet, crave-able muffins that will leave you feeling both satisfied and energized. Their high iron and zinc content make pumpkin seeds a particularly significant food if you follow a mostly (or entirely) plant-based diet.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 11/3 cups unsweetened apple juice
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 11/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon bicarb
  • Optional: additional pepitas and oats for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray or grease all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin.
  2. In a blender or food processor, process the oats, apple juice, pumpkin, pepitas, syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until blended and smooth. Add the baking soda; process 10 seconds to combine. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with some pepitas and oats, if desired.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  4. Transfer tin to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm or let cool completely.

NOTES

Tip: You can use other nuts or seeds in place of the pepitas (e.g., raw cashews, almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds).

Storage: Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for 3 months.

  • Category: Breakfast, Muffins

NUTRITION

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 118
  • Sugar: 8 g
  • Sodium: 182 mg
  • Fat: 3.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 18.7 g
  • Fiber: 2.3 g
  • Protein: 3.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

 

Ginger Cream Molasses Sandwich Cookies

I love molasses cookies. Was trying to come up with a way to make them more “special” for the holidays and thought of sandwich cookies. The cream filling is not too sweet and the crystallized ginger the perfect special touch!      Serves:  24

Ingredients:

COOKIES
3/4 c butter
3/4 c packed brown sugar
egg
1/2 c molasses
2 1/2 c  all purpose flour (maybe 1/2 cup is SR)
2 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 3/4 tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
turbinado sugar for rolling (or regular granulated sugar, but turbinado is prettier and tastier)
CREAM FILLING
1 c mascarpone cheese
1 c whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c icing mixture
2-3 Tbsp  finely chopped crystalized ginger (to taste)

1.   Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses.

2.   In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Add to the butter mixture and mix well. Chill for one hour.

3.   Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a baking tray. Roll pieces of dough into small balls (about 3/4in).  Roll the balls in the turbinado sugar and place on baking trays about 2 in. apart. Bake for 8-12 minutes, ’til set but still soft. Do not overbake.

4.   Gently fold in the crystalized ginger.

5.   When cookies are cool, spread bottom of one cookies with 1-2t. of filling and top with another cookie. Gently press together. Store in refrigerator (if they last longer than a day!)
QUOTES FROM OTHERS:
.. the Turbinado mixed into the cream filling was the bomb! The little extra crunch and and the flavor was amazing.
..might need some SR