I have a confession to make: I am a little tired of baking with almond flour. There I said it. It’s so versatile, and does so well in both gluten-free and grain-free recipes, that it is hard to break away from it. I do think it is fine from time to time, but as someone who bakes every day, I know I need to switch it up.
I was talking to my chiropractor about this very topic the other day, and she made a good point. She feels the same way, and explained that because she eats nuts and nut butter in other ways, she also likes to minimize baking with almond flour. I agree completely. In fact, years ago when I was initially exploring a paleo way of eating, I thought that if it was paleo, I could consume it freely. I would make an almond flour “muffin” in the morning, slathering it with almond butter, include nuts in my salad, and eat a paleo cookie after dinner. It was a lot, and my body reflected that I was overdoing it. Of course nuts are healthy, and studies show their benefits range from reducing heart disease, improving metabolism, preventing cancer, and supporting brain health. Yet, I still don’t think humans were meant to consume nuts in the quantities we consume them today. So I am standing on my soap box and telling the world, that from here on out, my recipes are going to contain a lot less almond flour. Hopefully this is also good news for those of you with an almond allergy or intolerance.
This exclamation may sound silly, but this is also coming from someone who wrote a gluten-free vegan baking cookbook where almond flour made an appearance in almost every recipe. It is a habit, and one that is going to be hard to break. I took the first step with these pumpkin muffins however, and I am so pleased by the way they turned out.
I love baking with quinoa and oat flours. Quinoa flour has a comforting flavor. It just works well in muffins and breads, and pairs nicely with pumpkin, which is why I wanted to use it in this recipe. Given that muffins are a baked good that can get away with more heartiness (versus a cake or cupcake that necessitates a more tender texture), I included oat flour as well for some feel good fiber in every bite.
So the question remains: do you enjoy them plain or drizzle on the glaze? You really could go either way, but I included my favorite monk fruit glaze just in case you fall into the latter camp. And it is only three ingredients.
Planning and prep
As in most cases, I do recommend bringing your eggs to room temperature. This takes 30 minutes, one hour tops. Then after mixing everything, you will want to let the batter rest for 30. minutes, and have the muffins cool completely. That’s pretty much it. Rest assured you will be able to enjoy these muffins on the same day that you bake them. No overnight anything required.
Quinoa Oat Flour Pumpkin Muffins {Gluten-free, Dairy-free}
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand beater or large whisk
Ingredients
For the muffins
- ½ cup dairy-free milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup quinoa flour
- ½ cup white rice flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree 244 g
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the monk fruit glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup powdered monk fruit Lakanto brand, or use regular powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. This is your dairy-free “buttermilk.”
- In a separate large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the quinoa flour, white rice flour, coconut sugar, oat flour, tapioca flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir to blend.
- To the bowl with the dairy-free buttermilk, whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until creamy.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour mixture, and beat until a batter is formed. Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Transfer the batter into the muffin tin, filling each liner ⅔ to ¾ of the way full. Bake for 24 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for about 10 minutes in the muffin tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, make the monk fruit glaze (if using). In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered monk fruit, dairy-free milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until creamy. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze on top of each muffin. Enjoy!
