The inspiration for this recipe came about as I perused through one of my favorite plant-based recipe blogs (with the cutest name) What’s Cooking Good Looking. Although originally listed as a bundt cake recipe, I find the recipe much better suited for muffin tins and skip the powdered sugar glaze for a sprinkle of cinnamon. I love the idea of using pecans as a nut flour and vitamin C rich blood orange for sweetness and flavor. It goes to show, with a little creativity, cooking without processed sugars and gluten just takes a little inspiration and creativity!
Blood Orange & Pecan Muffins
Adapted from: What’s Cooking Good Looking
Ingredients:
1 cup of pecans
1 cup of brown rice flour (you could also use a gluten free baking flour in place of this)
½ cup of almond flour
2 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of sea salt
1 tsp. of blood orange zest
½ cup of fresh squeezed blood orange juice (if out of season, you can use plain oranges)
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 T. of apple cider vinegar
½ cup of packed coconut palm sugar
cinnamon sprinkled on top
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a 12 muffin tin with unbleached baking cups.
In a food processor, pulse the pecans until they are finely ground.
In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: the finely ground pecans, brown rice flour, almond flour, baking soda and sea salt. Stir and combine.
Make a well in the dry mixture and add in the blood orange juice, zest, extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and coconut palm sugar. Mix by hand with a large spoon until all of the ingredients are combined. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling about 3/4 of the way to the top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. When you insert a tester it the center should come out dry.
Serve warm or cool, option of sprinkling cinnamon on top.
