Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Fortunately, we don't have to eat gluten-free or dairy-free in our house, but I think it is good to cut back on our consumption of both of those.  I bought some coconut flour to try a while back, and set up an experimental lab in my kitchen.  What I came up with is a gluten and dairy-free recipe that will delight your taste buds.  Even my two picky eaters gobble them up!

(How's that for a Thanksgiving themed pun?)

Here are the starring ingredients…

The chia seeds are not pictured because they were late to the casting call!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 c. coconut flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 t. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 c. raw unfiltered honey
1 c. coconut milk
1 c. pumpkin puree
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla

4 t. chia seeds
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Prepare muffin tins, or use paper liners.  In a large bowl, sift together the first 4 ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except the chia seeds and chocolate chips.  Gently stir wet mixture into dry ingredients, then stir in chia seeds and chocolate chips.  Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly golden and cooked through.  Remove from tins immediately and cool on rack.  Makes 12 muffins.

Here are some additional notes on this recipe…
Depending on the chocolate chips you use, this can be a dairy-free recipe.  The Enjoy Life brand I use is dairy, nut, and soy free.
You can adjust the pumpkin pie spice amount to your liking.
If you have never used coconut flour, you may think there is no way you will be able to mix all that liquid into such a small amount of flour.  But coconut flour can absorb a lot of liquid.  Trust me, it will all go together.
The muffins don't rise much like regular muffins or cupcakes would.  What you see when you put them in the oven is pretty much what you will see when you take them out.  I use my large Pampered Chef scoop to fill the tins so they are a little rounded on the top.  We like our treats to be healthy and pretty!
Each muffin contains over 8g of fiber, and over 4g of protein thanks to the coconut flour.
As tempting as it will be to eat a muffin fresh out of the oven, I encourage you to let them cool completely before eating.  Your taste buds will thank you!
I double this recipe and use up the whole cans of pumpkin and coconut milk.  24 muffins don't last long around here.
Of course, if your name is Martha and you make your own pumpkin puree, feel free to use that.  I'm just going to feel good about making my own muffins, though!

Enjoy!

In Wellness,
Karen