Pumpkin Spice Muffins: They're Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Stevia-Sweetened!

Monday was one of those days. I was hungry, I was hormonal, and I was sitting in a doctor's office for 45 minutes with an unfriendly receptionist. By the time the assistant called me in to wait for the doctor, I was teetering on the edge. I managed to hold it together when the doctor came in (don't worry, this was just a routine visit), but by the time I got home, all it took was a gentle, "Are you okay?" from my housemates to burst into tears. Laughing at myself while crying, I sobbed, "I think I just need food." I know myself well, and I know when something is genuinely wrong, and when I just need to eat. I had a plan for dinner: tilapia and lentils with veggies. But the fish needed to be thawed and I needed to eat right away! So I did what one always does when one is too hungry to think straight. I rummaged through the fridge for a quick pick-me-up. What did I find? My pumpkin spice muffins. I made them on Thursday and have been enjoying them since, one per day. I already had one with lunch, but I grabbed the container with the thought that it would fill me up quicker. But then I paused. These were really good muffins. These muffins deserved to be savored, each bite slowly and thoroughly chewed. These were not cheap muffins to scarf down without thought. I put the muffins away and grabbed a salad I had prepared earlier. And salad it was, until my fish was ready.

So what's that amazing about this story? I have never made a baked good and had it last more than a couple of days, maybe three at the most. But these muffins have been in my fridge for five days now. Not because they're not delicious. On the contrary, I think they're actually the best muffins I've made, even better than my "bursting with butter" corn muffins.  But frankly, it never mattered how good something I baked tasted. It was gone in days whether it was good or not! But the combination of saying goodbye to the binge monster and giving up all sweeteners but stevia has made a world of difference. Of course, I'm not saying I eat perfectly now or never overeat. But there's a line between overeating and bingeing, and I haven't crossed it. And for the first time, perhaps ever, I can bake something and know that I won't eat too much and regret it the next day.


Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Print-Friendly Option

Ingredients:
Dry: 
3/4 cup tapioca starch (sub: potato starch)
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour (sub: white rice flour)
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Wet:
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk (sub: your favorite milk substitute or regular milk)
2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp. water
3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1-2 tsp. liquid stevia, depending on sweet you want them *(see Malary's note below on subbing with stevia in the raw)
1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar (sub: lemon juice)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.In a second bowl, mix the flaxseed meal and water. Set aside for a minute, then add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir completely.
Add the dry ingredients to wet and stir with a fork until completely mixed. Grease your muffin tins and fill almost to the top with batter. If you're using muffin tin liners, you might want to spray them too. I found some of the muffins stuck to the liners a bit. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Makes approx. 12 muffins

Two of my readers (thanks Julia and Malary!) volunteered to test this recipe out. I'm including their feedback because I always love to read feedback in comments before deciding whether I'm going to try a recipe out.

Julia: I think they are YUMMY! I may have baked them a little long...? Although I did follow directions and bake at 375 for 23 mins. They came out crispy on the outside but really moist and tender in the inside. But I really like crispy outside...almost like a crust so I was VERY happy. Flavor wise I think they are great, nice and spicy. I think if people are a little more spice-phobic maybe make a note to cut a little of the pumpkin spice, but i really like it. Otherwise, no critique! Pretty easy once you have all the ingredients which I pretty much did, nice that it didn't use eggs since I can't eat yolks. Also super that it didn't use sugar since I am allergic to all sweeteners, other than stevia.

Malary: Malary thought the texture was the best she's had out of all the gluten-free baked goods she's made. She didn't have grapeseed oil on hand, so she substituted with olive oil, and she used 1 1/3 cup of stevia in the raw and a "squirt" of agave instead of the stevia.  

This post is linked to Sweet for a Saturday, Seasonal Sunday, and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.