Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins - The ultimate cozy accompaniment to soups, stews, chilis, and more! (gluten and dairy-free)

Another cornbread recipe!? Yes ma’am! This time, we are just going straight into a muffin tin vs cast iron skillet. Why? Well...I tend to just eat straight out of the skillet in one sitting so individually portioned muffins are what I need in life. Haha

Muffins are fun, in general though! But now that I’m thinking about it, I believe I have more muffin recipes on the blog than anything else! Enough small talk, let’s just dive right into this recipe!

I do have to preface by saying that if you don’t like the taste of pumpkin or team no #psl, then please don’t leave! Haha I want to assure you that these pumpkin cornbread muffins actually don’t taste like pumpkin. If anything, they taste more like a jiffy style cornbread flavor. The sole reason pumpkin puree is used in this recipe is because of texture and nutrients!

Though I love my gluten-free cornbread skillet recipe, and yes, these are gluten-free as well. This cornbread recipe just might have that one beat! The pumpkin puree adds a new level of fluffy texture while elevating the flavors! And yes, there is a small amount of pumpkin spice seasoning in the batter, but again, it just elevates the corn flavor in the cornbread which makes it completely neutral if that makes sense. 

So feel free to eat these classic with a pad of grass-fed butter and honey, or accompany to comfort dishes like chicken zoodle soup, creamy tomato pesto soup, butternut squash, kale, and white bean lasagna soup, veggie beef stew, or mexican harvest turkey chili.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins - The ultimate cozy accompaniment to soups, stews, chilis, and more! (gluten and dairy-free)

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 20 min Serving Size: 12 standard muffins/ 6 large muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten-free cornmeal 

• ¾ cup gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour

• ¾ cup plant based milk (or your favorite)

• ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

• ¼ cup coconut sugar

• ¼ cup avocado oil

• 2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp pumpkin spice seasoning

• ¼ tsp pink himalayan sea salt

Directions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out milk and add the 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Mix until combined and set aside. This is how to create “buttermilk” the plant-based way!

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

3. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spice seasoning and salt. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients (ie “buttermilk”, pumpkin, lightly beaten eggs, and oil). Stir until combined and no dry clumps remain. 

4. Scoop batter into a standard 12-cup muffin tin or a large 6-cup muffin tin (spray or grease if not nonstick). 

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through (a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin and it comes out clean) and slightly golden. 

6. Allow to cool slightly, then serve warm with a pad of grassfed butter and/or honey. 

Notes

• Like a spicy kick in your cornbread muffins? Feel free to mince 1 jalapeno or green chilis and add to batter.

Shop our favorite tools + ingredients for this recipe!

Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Cookie Dough - Super delicious and packed with fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Dairy, gluten, and grain-free.

Not only is this cookie dough safe to eat, it’s chock full of nutrients thanks to chickpeas' excellent source of soluble fiber and protein. When you combine it with nut butter and pumpkin puree, it’s a nutritional powerhouse! 

Professional Cycle Syncer? This is a luteal phase recipe as it contains ingredients like sunflower seeds, pumpkin, and chickpeas that are great sources of B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and fiber. During this phase, your body needs more calories and slow-burning complex carbs and beans provide calories while stabilizing blood sugar.

Bonus! PMS symptoms? Chickpeas are a great source of magnesium. They also contain vitamin B6 so when taken together, help reduce PMS symptoms! 

You can eat this for dessert, bring to a family or sports event, or simply grab a spoon and eat it straight from the fridge! 

You can most definitely use regular dark chocolate chips for this recipe, but I love using Hu Kitchen chocolate! For this recipe, I used one bar of hazelnut butter dark chocolate and used their grain-free cookies (chocolate chip and ginger snap) as the “spoon”! 

They just came out with seasonal dark chocolate bars: gingerbread and pumpkin spice and I BET that would truly level up this cookie dough! 

I love using their products because of their simplistic ingredient list: 

Organic cacao

Unrefined organic coconut sugar

Organic fair-trade cocoa butter

That’s. It.

Again, you don’t have to use these products to make this recipe, but if you want to, here the website or my SHOP PAGE and code FROMTHEROOTS for 15% off your first order! 

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A post shared by Candace Dorsey| From the Roots (@fromtherootsblog)

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Cookie Dough - Super delicious and packed with fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Dairy, gluten, and grain-free.

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ cup sunflower or nut butter

• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

• ¼ cup pumpkin puree

• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar (chopped)

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Flaky sea salt for garnish 

Directions 

1. Place drained chickpeas in a medium saucepan and add the baking soda. Cover the chickpeas with water and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat for 5-10 minutes or until the chickpeas look bloated. In a fine mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them. No need to peel the chickpeas now that they are soft and should create a creamy texture!

2. Transfer cooked chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients except for chocolate in a food processor. Puree mixture until completely smooth and creamy in texture. May need to pause a couple of times to scrape down the side of the processor bowl. 

3. Transfer mixture into a bowl and fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve and garnish with flaky sea salt. 

No-Bake Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

No-Bake Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars - Perfect as a seasonal treat or to make for the holidays. 

I created this recipe using Further Food vanilla collagen peptides. The recipe is on their website or you can get straight from here! 

If you do not have collagen peptide powder or wish to not use it, you can simply sub the powder out with ½ tsp vanilla extract. 

If you would like to try Further Food, use code FROMTHEROOTSBLOG10 for 10% off your first purchase!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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No-Bake Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars - Perfect as a seasonal treat or to make for the holidays. 

Ingredients:

Filling

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 30 minutes)

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned)

• 3-4 Tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

• 1/2 scoop vanilla collagen powder (further food) or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp pumpkin spice

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Crust

• 1 cup medjool dates (soaked for at least 30 min)

• 1/2 cup pecans

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1/4 cup coconut flakes

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• dash of pink himalayan salt

Almond Butter Salted Caramel

• 1/4 cup almond butter

• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup 

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil

• pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. To make the crust: Add the pecans, walnuts, and coconut flakes to a food processor and process until broken down and crumbly. Add in the dates, cinnamon, and salt and process until well mixed and the mixture begins to form a ball. 

2. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined 8x8 pan and press out evenly. Place in the freezer.

3. To a food processor or high powered blender, combine all filling ingredients and blend until texture is smooth. At this point, taste to see if you need to add more maple syrup for sweetness or spices for that pumpkin spice flavor. 

4. Take the crust out of the freezer and pour the filling mixture over the crust. Spread evenly. 

5. Place cheesecake in the freezer for up to two hours to set. 

6. 15 minutes before serving, prepare the caramel sauce by combining all ingredients into a small bowl and heating in the microwave for 30-sec increments until fully combined or in a small saucepan on medium heat. 

7. Drizzle caramel sauce over the bars and sprinkle with coarse salt for a salted caramel flavor. (highly recommended!)

8. Serve immediately, makes 16 small bars. 

9. For storage, place in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer and thaw naturally for 30 minutes or 15 seconds in the microwave. 

Notes

• If you are following the further food recipe, nutrition information is for 10 bars, not 16. 

Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding

Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding - Simple, six-ingredient chia pudding that’s thick, creamy and nutritious!

Whether you are tired of hearing about pumpkin spice or can’t get enough, this recipe is perfect for both parties! The only reason why I know this is a fact is that my husband says so! Haha.

Usually, after photos have been taken, Michael will stick one ear out of the room to wait for those magic words: “Honey, would you like to eat this?” This time, he ate the entire jar before I could tell him what the special ingredient is in my chia pudding! For the record, he despises pumpkin pie spice everything!

See, I say this to tell you that pumpkin spice is here to stay! Not because of the spice, but because of the pumpkin that usually follows it! Pumpkin is an awesome fruit that is highly nutritious! Two of my favorite health benefits of pumpkin is that pumpkin is a powerful source of fiber and contains beta-carotene.

Have you ever wondered how orange vegetables and fruits have vibrant colors? It’s because of this powerful antioxidant called beta-carotene! Our body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A which is an essential vitamin for our bodies. We need vitamin A for healthy skin, a strong immune system, and good eye health. That is why I love pumpkin so much!

Enjoy this pumpkin pie chia pudding for breakfast, as a snack or even as a dessert. I’m sure chia pudding would be good warm but I have only tested this chilled. You can also use the leftover pumpkin puree in pumpkin pie protein smoothie or the elevated pumpkin spice latte recipe found on my Instagram.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding - Simple, six-ingredient chia pudding that’s thick, creamy and nutritious! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp heaping pumpkin puree

• 2 Tbsp chia seeds

• 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)

• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice seasoning

• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

• 1 Tbsp honey

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small mason jar or container, combine all ingredients until fully combined.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.

3. Eat chilled and top with your favorite toppings like pepitas, coconut flakes, bee pollen, pecans, honey, nut butter, or pomegranate seeds.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie

This creamy pumpkin pie protein smoothie is just like pumpkin pie but without the guilt! Great as a post-recovery shake, breakfast or a healthy dessert!

Tis the season for #pumpkinspiceeverything! Who is with me!? Sure, fall festivals, wearing flannel, and watching football are all great, but October feels complete to me because I get to enjoy pumpkin spice! Even though I hate to admit it, I am your basic white girl, but I am not complaining because I could literally eat pumpkin every day if I wanted to -- and with this pumpkin pie protein smoothie, that is just what I have been doing!

I made this smoothie on a whim after a workout when I usually make a post-recovery smoothie. I was looking in my fridge for the usual spinach leaves but found leftover pumpkin puree instead. I thought, “Sure, pumpkin pie sounds healthy after a workout!”

That is what I did and it turned out amazing! Now, when I make this pumpkin pie protein smoothie as a post-recovery smoothie, I do not add the fun toppings. I usually add hemp seeds instead for that added protein! But, if you want to treat yourself to a fun Friyay breakfast, snack or dessert, then load the toppings on!

If pumpkin is not your thing, then check out my other protein smoothies here: morning green smoothie and  PB&J protein smoothie bowl.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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This creamy pumpkin pie protein smoothie is just like pumpkin pie but without the guilt! Great as a post-recovery shake, breakfast or a healthy dessert!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 1 frozen banana (ripe)

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 Tbsp almond butter

• 1 scoop protein powder

• 1/2 cup ice

• couple dashes of pink Himalayan salt

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

Granola, coconut whipped cream, peanut butter, dash of pumpkin pie spice, hemp seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste flavors and adjust accordingly; adding honey for more sweetness, more milk for a smoother/thinner consistency.

2. Garnish with toppings of choice and enjoy!

NOTES

1. Your banana must be ripe or else this smoothie will not taste sweet. If you do not have a ripened banana, use what you have and add 3 pitted medjool dates or 1 Tbsp honey and taste as you go for desired sweetness.

2. Toppings: I used So Delicious Coco Whip, Nature’s Path dark chocolate macaroon granola, and Trader Joe's pumpkin pie spice seasoning

3. Protein powder: Garden of Life

4. I also add this brand of superfood green powder. Doesn’t change the smoothie flavor, just gives it a sweeter taste.