These muffins make a great grab-and-go breakfast or a healthy afternoon snack. They are also grain-free and very nutritious! I used a small pie pumpkin in these muffins, though you could use any hard winter squash or carrots. Just avoid pumpkin puree because the muffins will end up too wet. (Also avoid the giant pumpkins used for carving jack-o-lanterns; those aren’t very tasty!) If Paleo baking feels daunting, this is a great recipe to start with. You only need a few special paleo flours and the recipe is really easy to mix together. Be sure to let the batter rest for a few minutes before baking the muffins to give the flour time to absorb the moisture. Here’s a brief run down of the flours we’ll be using in this mix: Ground Almond Flour: Ground almond flour is made from blanched almonds with the skins removed. Look specifically for “fine ground” flour for this recipe. This is key for muffins with a light texture. Coarse almond flour will be heavier and have a tendency to clump. Almond flour a great base flour for Paleo baking because it has a very neutral flavor. It also gives baked goods a tender crumb and it has pretty good binding power (something non-gluten flours are often missing). Because of the high fat content of almond flour, we don’t need as much other fat in the recipe. Coconut Flour: Coconut flour is made from the fibers of ground coconut. It will absorb up a TON of moisture in recipes, so it’s usually used in conjunction with other flours. Coconut flour tastes mildly of coconut, but because we’re using just a small amount, it won’t add a lot of flavor to this recipe. Tapioca Flour : Tapioca flour, also known as tapioca starch, is the pure starch of the cassava. It has very good binding power and also lightens up a batter made with the almond and coconut flours. It is neutral in taste. You can find all these flours at natural food stores, like Whole Foods. Many nationwide grocery stores are also starting to stock them more regularly. Look in both the baking aisle and the bulk bin section. The muffins are also very forgiving to first-time Paleo bakers and quite versatile. I’ve made them with carrots instead of pumpkin and even added a 1/2 cup of crumbled feta into the batter – both versions turned out great. You could even add in some cooked sausage or crumbled bacon for extra protein! The muffins are moist, flavorful, and keep well. We stored them covered at room temperature for a couple of days. For longer storage, wrap tightly and refrigerate. To grate the pumpkin, cut it into large pieces, scoop out the seeds, and grate the flesh on a box grater until you hit the skin. Alternatively, you can cut away the skin and grate in a food processor. This recipe calls for a 12-cup muffin tin
