These mini muffins are the perfect little dessert for your next fall gathering (Friendsgiving, perhaps?). They’re also great spread with a little nut butter or crumbled over yogurt or cottage cheese for a quick and easy snack.

Packed with fiber and vitamin-rich pumpkin, they also happen to be secretly healthy. I won’t tell if you won’t. What you will want to share, though: these are grain-free and gluten-free, and appropriate for any cave people (aka Paleo eaters) in attendance. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Dash of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, cloves, and ginger)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree*
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with mini liners or grease with coconut oil or coconut oil spray.
2. Combine dry ingredients and mix in a small mixing bowl.
3. Combine wet ingredients in another mixing bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until well mixed. Spoon into muffin cups.
5. Bake until set, about 15 minutes.

makes 24 mini-muffins

*if preferred, you can also make these with applesauce instead of pumpkin, but they may take a few minutes longer to cook.

I also made a microwave version with about 1/4 cup of batter in a ramekin I sprayed with coconut oil spray. Microwave in 30-second increments until set in the middle. Of course I had to top it with peanut butter. I think I am going to make that’s going to become a breakfast recipe in the very near future.