OMG, you are in for a treat. These Ayurvedic butternut squash muffins are goooooorgeous.
This recipe comes from the Everyday Ayurveda cookbook by Kate O’Donnell. This book was recently gifted to me, I have tried 4 recipes so far and they have all been scrumptious. So if you are looking for more inspirational healthy recipes then this book is a worthy investment indeed.
Within Ayurveda, there are particular foods that strengthen (or weaken) your body in each season. These butternut squash muffins, in relation to when you would harvest them, are an autumn recipe. I must confess I have just eaten them for the first time in May. As it was a blustery, rainy day which really is typically Novemberish I feel maybe I established the autumnal balance at the moment 🙂
So onto the recipe. Are you ready to bake these moist, melt-in-the-mouth healthy and scrumptious muffins? Who knew health tasted so good..
To Make These Ayurvedic Butternut Squash Muffins.
You will need:
- 2 eggs or ‘flax eggs’
- 1/2 cup of butternut squash
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup
- 2 tbsp of melted coconut oil (I didn’t have any so used 2 tbsps. ghee and I’m sure butter would also be fine)
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal/ground almonds
- 1/4tsp salt
- 1/4tsp baking soda
- 1/4tsp baking powder
- 1-2tsp Everyday sweet spice mix *See below
- 1/4 fresh cranberries chopped (I didn’t have any so used sultanas, I think any dried soft fruit you enjoy will work) By following Ayurvedic principles cranberries are balanced for Autumn and sultanas/raisins for Spring.
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
* The Everyday Spice Mix
- 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tbsp ginger powder
- 1 tbsp cardamon powder
Pop them together in a container and stir/shake so they are evenly mixed.
Preferably grind the whole spices if you have them, otherwise use powders. This mix is perfect for cool mornings and will enhance the sweet taste of foods (To date I have used it in smoothies and with porridge – delish) These spices help digestion. As you may have noticed this is more than you need for the recipe so you can experiment a little too.
*How To Make ‘Flax Eggs’
If you don’t have ground flaxseeds pop your whole flax seeds into a spice blender to grind them into a powder. Take 2 tbsp of ground flax and 6 tbsp of filtered water and blend at a high speed for 2 minutes. This is best done with a stick blender in a taller jug as they do froth up and increase in volume, it easily doubles.
I have made these with eggs and with flax eggs, both versions are delicious. The flax eggs were a little moister and didn’t rise quite so much. However, unless you are vegan take the opportunity to try both versions you will at least benefit from the different nutrients they possess.
This is how they look when made with flax:
So on to how to make these muffins…
Remember to cook your butternut squash before you start, I roasted it and then allowed it to cool first.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees centigrade
You can line the muffin tins with baking cups, as you can see I didn’t, they didn’t last long enough to warrant it.
Whisk your eggs/flax eggs briskly with a fork for 1-2 minutes. Then add your pre-cooked squash and mash it in with a fork. Once that is combined stir in the maple syrup and coconut oil/ghee/melted butter.
In a separate small bowl, mix all the dry ingredients – the almond meal/flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spice mix. Once you have mixed everything together and add to the wet ingredients. Just mix as much as you need to avoid over-mixing. Finally, stir in the cranberries/dried fruit.
Divide your mixture into 6 muffin cups and dust with the shredded coconut (optional) Now bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown.
Now the difficult bit – wait until they have cooled.
You can at least close your eyes, breathe in and smell their delicious spicy aroma. Be strong now and walk away until they are at their best and ready to eat. Now is the time to do something that you really enjoy, something purely for the fun of it (for your health) sing and dance your way around the kitchen, watch something that makes you laugh. Whatever it is, enjoy it.
I know there are only four. We ate one each and as they were so delicious. They’re one of the most delicious gluten free muffins I’ve eaten.
As they cool they will become firmer whilst remaining soft. Finally, once they are cool you can now devour them in moderation 🙂 Enjoy.
