Yesss you read this correctly – Pumpkin Hazelnut Muffins that happen to be gluten free, dairy free, and melt in your mouth delicious!
This recipe is tried and true – coming at you with the perfect fluffy consistency, warming fall spices, and sweet yet lightly spiced taste.
The hazelnuts make it delicious and nutty (and loaded with healthy fats), the oats provide fibre, the molasses in it is loaded with trace nutrients and iron, and the spices in it make it warming and grounding! Definitely an anxiety friendly, blood sugar balancing treat for all to enjoy!
As I like to remind people – gluten free, dairy free baking can be a bit of a labour of love. Please do your best to follow the directions carefully 🙂 And check out the recipe notes below.
Here are a few recipes notes I’d love you to know before baking:
- A Vitamix/ high speed blender is very important here for grinding up the hazelnuts & oats to a fluffy flour like consistency. If you don’t have one – you might be better off using hazelnut flour and oat flour from the store. Just note that the measurements will be different. You can use this converter for hazelnuts and this website to learn more about oat flour conversions.
- You want to grind your oats/ flax seeds and hazelnuts well enough so the appear similar to a regular flour consistency (no chunkys). Just be careful to not over blend the hazelnuts so they don’t start turning too soft or into butter – as this is definitely possible.
- A light sift of the flours is definitely something I recommend. Even though it takes a *few* (not many) extra minutes – it’s SO worth it to create this fluffy texture. Remember that gluten free, dairy free baking is a labour of love! If you notice a lot of oat or hazelnut chunks left in your sieve after sifting – pop them back in the blender and give them a quick blend to further breakdown.
- I recommend using canned pumpkin in this recipe – although I love using whole fresh pumpkins in recipes, the ratios would be different and I am yet to test
- In terms of substitutions – I haven’t tried many yet. I have found this recipe to be particular so be warned if you try subs it might not work out as well. However, please do let us know if you have luck in doing so 🙂
- You can make this recipe into muffins, a loaf, or even a cake! I recommend muffins however have had luck with a loaf as well! If you’re making it for more of a dessert option – I highly recommend melting some dark chocolate on the stove (I do so in a small pan with a few splashes of almond milk) – and drizzling over top as you serve for a heavenly touch!
Ingredients
Dry:
– 1.5 cups oats ground into flour
– 1/3 cup whole flax, then ground into a meal (do so with the oats)
– 1 cup whole hazelnuts, then ground into a flour
– 2 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 tsp baking soda
– 1/4 tsp sea salt
– 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Wet:
– 1 cup canned pumpkin
– 2 large pasture raised eggs
– 1/3 cup coconut oil, softened (not quite fully melted)
– 1/3 cup raw cane sugar
– 1/4 cup honey
– 1/3 cup molasses
For the top: pumpkin seeds
Instructions
– Preheat your oven to 350 F
– Grind your hazelnuts in a high speed blender/ vitamix until you reach a flour like consistency. Be sure there are no longer chunky pieces left but that you also don’t blend too much that they become like butter
– Lightly sift your hazelnut flour into a large mixing bowl using a thin mesh sieve
– Next, add the oats and flax seeds to the blender and blend on high until you reach a flour like consistency. You can blend the flax seeds separately if you want to avoid having any chunk-ier pieces (however with a Vitamix, doing so together works totally fine)
– Then sift your oats/ flax seeds into the large bowl with the hazelnut flour
– Add all other dry ingredients one by one, stirring well. Be sure that you’ve stirred out any potential chunks from the oat flour, baking soda, or baking powder
– Next move on to the wet ingredients. Place all wet ingredients into your blender or vitamix and blend on low to medium – just until combined (do not over blend)
– Slowly pour the wet ingredients from the blender into the dry bowl. Be sure you get out all the wet ingredients, scraping the side of the blender with a spatula. Gently stir until just combined (do not over mix!)
– Place the batter into prepared muffin tins or a cake/ loaf pan. If making muffins, I find muffin papers really help!
– Top with pumpkin seeds (approx. 1/2 Tbsp. per each)
– Place in the oven and allow to bake for 19-22 minutes for muffins. For cake, start with 30 minutes and for a loaf, start with 45. Check after that (depending on your oven – they might need more time) – you’ll know they’re finished when you press they tops and they lightly spring back to you OR when you insert a tooth pick or butter knife in and they come out clean
– Once they are finished baking, allow to cool before removing from the tray (approx. 20 minutes)
