Sweet Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

[ Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Start to Finish: 1 Hour | 12 muffins ]

• 1½ cups almond flour
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• ½ cup real maple syrup
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• ⅓ cup roasted salted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups.

2. In large bowl, mix almond flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger and salt. In medium bowl, mix pumpkin, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla and coconut oil. Pour into flour mixture; stir just until combined. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. (Cups will be full.) Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of each.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack to cool completely.

1 Muffin: Calories 210; Total Fat 15g (Saturated Fat 5g; Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 130mg; Total Carbohydrate 14g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 6g Exchanges: ½ Starch, ½ Other Carbohydrate, ½ Medium-Fat Meat, 2½ Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1

Pumpkin seeds, called pepitas, are popular in Mexican cooking. With their white hulls removed, pepitas are a medium-green color. They are delicious roasted and salted, as in this recipe. Try sprinkling them on salads for a new nutty crunch. Pepitas are sold unhulled, hulled, raw, or roasted and salted. Look for them in supermarkets near the nuts as well as in health food stores and Mexican markets.