Spiced Butternut Squash Muffins – Vegan/Gluten Free Optional

INGREDIENTS

Butternut squash muffins

Butternut squash muffins

  • ½ pound peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash (I used 2 ½ cups cooked squash or pumpkin or a mixture of the two)
  • 1 1/2 cups rice flour
  • ¼ cup rice protein powder (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice = (3/4 t ginger, 1/8 t clove, 1/8 t nutmeg, 1 t cinnamon)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2-4 Tablespoons of maple syrup or agava nectar
  • 3/4 cup milk or milk substitute like rice milk or hemp milk
  • 2 egg, beaten (egg substitute – 1 tablespoon of flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water per egg)
  • 1-2 tablespoon butter, melted or melted coconut oil or earth balance
  • adding nuts and seeds is a tasty variation

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
  2. In a medium saucepan with enough water to cover, boil squash 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and puree in a food processor.  I bake the squash the night before and just mash them instead of using a food processor it adds more texture.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, protein powder, baking powder, cornstarch, salt and pumpkin pie spices.
  4. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together milk, vanilla, eggs, sweetener, and butter. Stir in squash. Fold the squash mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling cups about 1/2 full.
  6. Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. (I often have to cook longer).
  7. Remove from muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.

Original recipe yield: 12 muffins modified from allrecipes.com