Oat Pumpkin Almond Butter Protein Muffins. Vegan. GF.

Oat Pumpkin Almond Butter Protein Muffins. Vegan. GF.
Oat Pumpkin Almond Butter Protein Muffins. Vegan. GF. Knead to Cook.

Okay so I waited until the 10th of September to roll out the very first pumpkin recipe.  I feel quite proud of this accomplishment.  I know it was hard to say goodbye to summer but truthfully – I’m a huge fan of autumn.  Leaves transforming to brilliant hues.  Crisp air. Boots.  Jeans.  Big cozy sweaters.  Cuddling under blankets.  I love it all.  Not to mention running in weather that doesn’t leave me looking like I’ve been doused by a flood of water.  Buh bye humidity!

So have I sold you on my reasoning? If not, I’ll sell you on the ease of this recipe – all made in one bowl. Hello food processor; I love you so!  And let’s not overlook all of the wonderful health benefits of pumpkin.  Let’s start… pumpkin contains vitamin A, C and E, riboflavin, potassium, copper, manganese, thiamin, B6, folate, iron, niacin and phosphorus.  Perfect post workout muffin.  PLUS an extra boost of Vega protein which helps muscle recovery post workout on top of the protein source from the almond butter — a snack that you can be happy to eat post killer gym session, bike ride, swim or run.

Ingredients:

3 cups of Bob’s Redmill Gluten Free rolled oats (not the thick cut)
1 – 15 ounce can of organic, bpa-free canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1.5 cups of Silk cashew or almond milk (I prefer cashew as it is a bit thicker in consistency)
1 scoop (leveled) of Vega One protein powder in vanilla 
1/4 cup of almond butter (I used maple Justin’s)
1/4 cup of maple syrup
3 teaspoons of ground flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice mixture or see notes below to make your own mixture.*
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Optional:
Vegan chocolate chips (1/3 cup or less) – I made half a batch with and half without.
Nuts:  chopped walnuts or almonds – hand fold into the mixture using about 1/4 cup or so.

*3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 Β½ teaspoons ground allspice and 1 Β½ teaspoons ground cloves. Mix the spices together in a small bowl.  Store in an airtight container or reuse an old glass spice container.  Store in a dry location for up to 9-12 months. 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Spray your muffin tins with baking spray of coconut oil and set aside.

Place all of your ingredients through salt into your food processor.  Pulse to blend until completely incorporated.  I stopped after a few pulses and scraped the sides down then pulse again a few times to incorporate.  If using nuts and/or chocolate – mix in by hand.

I’ve learned this tip… when making an oat based muffin there is absolutely no sense in using muffin liners because they just stick to it horribly.  Yes, I was reminded of this yesterday again.  So noted!  I highly recommend just spraying your muffin tins with coconut oil or baking spray and filling each well 3/4 of the way to the top.  Baking times vary.  Traditional ways of testing for doneness doesn’t necessarily work.  I look for color – nice brown edges and about 30 mins of baking time.  I let cool completely before serving.  This is imperative.
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These also make the perfect after-practice snack.  My daughter inhales these after field hockey practice.
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Recap for my training week:

Sunday: 6 miles outdoors
Monday: Labor Day 14 miles outdoors
Tuesday: 5 miles (treadmill) plus strength/core/lifting
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 24 miles outdoors

Today’s run was brutal.  My last marathon training cycle was flawless and my race was terrible.  I’ve had a few bad runs- with today being the worst, humid, hot and unbearable.  I hope this means that future runs will have the anatomy of perfection (ha!).   I think today my sweat had sweat.  Now I realize the weather is getting cooler (later today) and I should’ve opted for running this long run tomorrow but you can’t pick race weather so I embraced it.  I headed out at 3:05 am to beat the thunderstorms we were getting (that just arrived around noon) and just got it done.  I will admit, when I saw my husband at mile 22.22 I was on the verge of tears knowing I had too much to go… even though it doesn’t seem like much in hindsight.  Also majorly got my steps in for the day too.  Bonus.  I used Vega energizer during my run and always finish with Vega recovery accelerator.
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That’s it from here.  I have a giant head of cauliflower I have a recipe idea for and I need to get working on it.  No rest for the weary.  Hope you all have a wonderful afternoon.

Oh and I would be remiss not to mention the new Pro Compression sock of the month that you need to check out.
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— Knead to Cook

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