It’s officially fall which in my book means several things, but one aspect in particular gets me excited – pumpkins, spice, and everything nice! The fall flavors and scents give me all the cozy vibes and Miami temperatures aside I’m feeling the seasonal transition full-on.
And I’ve been celebrating in all the best ways – including making pumpkin oat muffins!
Fall vibes, Seasonal Transition, and Nourishing Joy and Fun
All week I’ve been channeling the change in season both to let go of the past and to soak up all the fall feels. I’ve been reflecting on my journey so far – where I’ve been, how I’ve grown, and the progress I’ve made – and taking stock of what no longer serves me or my continued growth and expansion.
And I’ve been getting clear on what it is I want to create more of – and all of the cozy fall sights and scents and tastes have been helping me to get grounded in all of it.
That includes holiday-scented candles, getting little baby pumpkins, and baking these pumpkin oat muffins, which the first time around I actually made in bar-form. I may have even gotten a little ahead of myself and turned on some Christmas tunes while I was baking – #noshame! (For the record, a couple new ornaments have already been purchased – insert side smirk emoji ;))
And really it’s been SO fun! I’m simply embracing all of the things I love and fill me up and the result is I’m feeling all sorts of energy and excitement. Nourishing ourselves with things that fill us up and bring us joy is so important.
Timing is Everything – Let the Gratitudes and Celebrations Begin! Remission Anniversary Style
And perfect timing because today is my three year remission anniversary – officially three years in the clear! That’s certainly something worth celebrating!
Gratitude has certainly been top of mind. I’m grateful for every day and all this journey has taught me – every step of the way.
Gratitude and letting go are two incredibly powerful practices that have been integral parts of my journey. It’s a journey of both coming home and of finding true freedom. The more you come to know yourself, the more you can trust and let go.
Fall is the perfect season to cultivate more gratitude and to get more comfortable with the (often uncomfortable) process of letting go.
And to bring it back to the main subject at hand – nourishing and comforting foods and vibes can really help ground you down and ground down these practices within you.
Healthy Pumpkin Oat Muffins – A Seasonal Staple
Pumpkin oat muffins are perfect for the job! I’m honestly not sure how I’ve made it this long without whipping up the pumpkin oat combo in muffin form. Hearty, nourishing, and oh-so scrumptious! I added a paleo crumble to the top to add a little extra decadent deliciousness – sorta like my pumpkin oat chocolate bars – totally optional but totally worth it!
Between the pumpkin, oats, and eggs (recommended all organic of course) these muffins are really quite healthy and easily serve as a convenient breakfast option. I’ve been eating mine alongside a bowl of berries and my protein ‘mocha.’
Pumpkin is jam-packed with vitamin A and per cup contains a significant amount of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, copper, manganese, vitamin B2, vitamin E, and iron. It is also a relatively low-calorie food. Pumpkin also contains antioxidants including beta-carotene that help protect against free radicals which have been linked to chronic disease such as heart disease and cancer. The nutrients in pumpkin are good for skin and eye health as well.
While they are still considered to be a grain, oats are gluten-free and contain a ton of health benefits beyond the high levels of fiber. They are also loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, notably manganese – half a couple provides almost 200% of the RDI. The also clock in substantial amounts of phosphorous, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B1 (thiamin) and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid).
These pumpkin oat muffins are an easy and delicious way to incorporate both of these nutrient-bombs into our diet!
I also whipped these up in a blender – making them incredibly easy to whip up. I added chocolate chips to half and decided to throw on some of the decadent paleo crumble as well. Leave these options out if you want to minimize sugar consumption.
Pumpkin Oat Muffins with Paleo Crumble
Delicious and nutritious hearty pumpkin oat muffins that you can whip up in a blender in no time! Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Oat Muffins
- 2 cups GF rolled oats
- 1 cup organic pure pumpkin puree no sugar added – not the pie filling
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs organic pasture-raised ideally, or sub 2 flax eggs to make them vegan
- 1/3 cup oat milk or dairy-free milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Paleo Crumble
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp ‘butter’ or coconut oil vegan butter works really well, I haven’t tried ghee
- 1 tbsp oats (heaping tbsp)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
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Add all of the muffin ingredients (except for the chocolate chips if you are using them) to a blender. Start on low and blend until thoroughly incorporated. The oats can be a bit chunky or turn up the blender speed to thoroughly chop them up. If you are adding the chocolate chips, stir them in by hand once it’s blended up. (Or you can just sprinkle the chips on top of the muffins once they are in the liners, like I did.
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Make the crumble. Add all of the dry ingredients in a small baking bowl. Melt the butter or coconut oil in a small saucepan. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and using a fork mix them up until the ingredients are combined – it should look a bit crumbly.
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Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin liners until they are about 3/4 full. Top with the crumble.
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Bake for 15-18 minutes. At 15 minutes mine were perfect – thoroughly baked but incredibly moist.
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Eat up! Store extras in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 7 days.
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