Over the last couple of months, I’ve been exploring the world of gluten-free baking—trying recipes posted by other blogs as well as converting some of my traditional recipes into gluten-free ones. One of my successful conversions was a Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin recipe I first made with whole wheat pastry and all-purpose flours last year and posted at BEEsy Mama.

The gluten-free version of this muffin recipe has a different texture than the one using traditional flours. It tends to be a little more crumbly, but still holds together well. I recommend storing the leftover muffins in the fridge. The flavors and moistness of these muffins are in no way compromised with the use of gluten-free flours. My family gobbled these muffins up.

Below I’ve included both recipes—the first one made with whole wheat pastry and all-purpose flours and the second one made with gluten-free flours. Just like those “choose your adventure” books so popular when I was kid, you can “choose your recipe.” Enjoy!! 

Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Version #1 ~ Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

~Adapted from a recipe in Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods by Cynthia Lair~

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛  tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ cup unrefined cane sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• ½ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup pecans, chopped¾ cup dark chocolate morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly oil muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, salt, spices, and unrefined cane sugar. Set aside.

3. On low heat, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add syrup and honey to the warm butter and stir together.  Pour mixture into a bowl and add pumpkin, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together until well blended.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and fold gently, using as minimum strokes as possible. Fold pecans and chocolate morsels into the batter.

5. Fill muffin cups full with batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. If desired, serve warm with butter. Makes about 18 muffins.

♥   ♥   ♥

Gluten-Free Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Version #2 ~ Gluten-Free Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

• 2 cups almond flour
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛  tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup pecans, chopped
• ¾ cup dark chocolate morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly oil muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.

3. On low heat, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add syrup and honey to the warm butter and stir together.  Pour mixture into a bowl and add pumpkin, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together until well blended.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and fold gently, using as minimum strokes as possible. Fold pecans and chocolate morsels into the batter.

5. Fill muffin cups full with batter and place on middle rack in oven. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. If desired, serve warm with butter. Store leftover muffins in the refrigerator. Makes 15 to 18 muffins.