Butternut Squash, Apple, and Hazelnut Muffins

(31)
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Photo: Marcus Nilsson
Yield:
12

For an antioxidant boost, add 1 cup frozen blueberries and bake these gluten-free muffins an additional 5 minutes.

Ingredients

  • ½ small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (3 cups)

  • ¾ cup superfine brown rice flour

  • ½ cup millet flour

  • ½ cup hazelnut flour

  • ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • teaspoon ground ginger

  • 3 large eggs

  • ½ cup light brown sugar

  • ¼ cup cane sugar

  • cup coconut oil, melted

  • 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest

  • 1 sweet apple, such as Gala, peeled, cored, and grated (1 cup)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with 12 baking cups.

  2. Steam squash until tender, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/2 cup squash puree, sugars, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest.

  4. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until well incorporated, then fold in apple. Spoon batter into baking cups and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

  5. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cook's Notes

Combined with grated apple and steamed squash, healthy-fat-rich hazelnut flour ensures a perfectly moist texture in these autumnal treats.

Originally appeared: Whole Living, October 2012

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