Family Favorites - October 2020: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Muffins (Wheat, Fish and Milk-Free, Can Be Nut, Soy and Egg-Free)

  

I decided to keep posting a family favorite recipe from the blog (with any adaptions that we use regularly, if applicable) on the fourth Friday or Saturday of every month this year.  This recipe will be one that we make quite often and that we all enjoy greatly.  This post is the tenth Family Favorites recipe of 2020.

If you have a recipe on your blog that you consider a family favorite that you'd like to share, please comment below with a link to the recipe, and I'll make sure to pop on over and visit your site to check it out (and leave a comment), and hopefully some of my other readers will, too.

This month's Family Favorite recipe is Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Muffins (Wheat, Fish and Milk-Free, Can Be Nut, Soy and Egg-Free).  This is essentially a reposting of my original recipe with a few tips and tricks added in.

This recipe is a family favorite for a number of reasons.  I like it because the smell reminds me of Thanksgiving and family, it tastes a lot like pumpkin pie, and I am a huge fan of pecans.  My family likes it because they like the pumpkin and pecan combo.  Eating these is kind of like having dessert for breakfast, and that's always a bonus. :)  They are also wheat, fish and milk-free (if all your ingredients are), and can be nut, soy and egg-free (see variations).  If you are a fan of pumpkin and pecans, you'll definitely want to try this recipe!

Note: The gluten-free flour I recommend does not technically contain soy, but it does contain xantham gum (see "Soy-Free" under variations for more details) which can cause issues for people with soy sensitivities or allergies.  Also, not all gluten-free bread crumbs are soy-free.  For these reasons, I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free.  I will share a soy-free alternative in variations, though.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

4 Cups gluten-free gluten-free flour

(We normally use and highly recommend Namaste Gluten-Free Perfect Flour Blend.)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt
(We normally use and highly recommend Himalayan Pink Salt.)

2 Tablespoons to 8 teaspoons gluten-free pumpkin pie spice
(We normally use and highly recommend McCormick brand.)

1 Cup chopped pecan pieces
(If you can get raw pecans, those are best, but unsalted and roasted pecans are ok, too.)

1 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Cup white sugar
(We always use and highly recommend white cane sugar.)

1 Cup brown sugar
(We always use and highly recommend brown cane sugar.)

1/2 Tablespoon to 2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

pecan halves for decorating (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 325^oF.
     
2. Line muffin tins (30 to 36 count) with liners.
     
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and pecan pieces and set aside.  (Note: Most spices are gluten-free by default, but you'll want to double check to make sure that your pumpkin pie spice is.  Also, the amount of pumpkin pie spice you use is based on personal preference.  We prefer the 8 teaspoons, but if you find that too much spice for your liking, use the 2 Tablespoons or even go down to 1 1/2 Tablespoons, if you wish.)
     
4. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, sugar and vanilla until well-blended.  (Note: The amount of vanilla you use is based on personal preference.  We prefer the 2 teaspoons.)
     
5. Add the eggs and pumpkin to the sugar mixture and mix until well-blended.
     
6. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until well-blended. (Note: You do not want to over-mix this.  I generally mix it until all the flour is moistened, and then stop.  It is ok if there is some bits of flour visible, but you don't want large streaks of flour.)
     
7. Evenly distribute the batter between the lined muffin cups and then top each muffin with a pecan half, if desired.  (Note: I find that 30 muffins is perfect for this recipe, but if you want to make the muffins slightly smaller, you could definitely stretch this out to 36 muffins.  Also, if you want the muffins to have a smoother appearance, then smooth out the batter before baking.  I am ok with a more rustic look, so I didn't do that with mine, so it definitely is not necessary.)
     
8. Bake muffins for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into a center muffin comes out clean.
     
9. Cool muffins in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes before transferring the muffins directly to the wire racks to finish cooling.

Makes 30 to 36 muffins that can be enjoyed hot, warm or cold with equal deliciousness.

Variations (Please keep individual allergen and dietary needs in mind when using variations.  Thank you!):

• Soy-Free: Namaste Gluten-Free Perfect Flour Blend does not claim to contain soy, but it does contain xanthan gum, which can cause issues with people who have soy sensitivities and allergies.  For this reason, I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free.  You can use a soy-free flour (if you can have wheat/gluten) or soy-free, gluten-free cup-for-cup of your choice.  Keep in mind that if your gluten-free flour doesn't contain guar gum or xanthan gum, you may need to add between 1 to 4 teaspoons of ground flax seed, guar gum or xanthan gum to help with textural issues, too.  You'll have to make sure all your ingredients are soy-free, too.
    
• Other Nut or Nut-Free: You can sub walnuts or pumpkin seeds for the pecans or you can leave the pecans out entirely if you can't have nuts.
    
• Egg-Free: Use an egg replacer in place of the eggs.  For ideas on what to use in place of the eggs, check out my ingredient substitutions page.  The flax seed "egg", pumpkin or applesauce replacement would be a good fit with these muffins.
    
• Mix-In Ideas: If you like chocolate chips with pumpkin, you can add a Cup in (Enjoy Life is a great allergy-friendly chocolate).  If you like cranberry with pumpkin, you can add a Cup of dried cranberries (such as Craisins) in.  You could even add a Cup of bite-sized pieces of apple (I'd recommend a tart one like Granny Smith, and peeled or not is your choice).  You could use any or all of these, and even use them with one of the nut substitutions above.  Pick your fancy!
    
• Loaves vs. Muffins:  If you are more a fan of loaves vs. muffins, you can turn this recipe into loaves.  Just grease two 9x5 loaf pans, evenly distribute the batter between the two pans, top with pecan halves for decoration (like a line down the middle length-wise) if desired, and bake for 6o t0 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  You will need to rest the bread loaves in the pans for 5 minutes before attempting to remove them from the pans, and then remove them from the pans and cool the loaves on wire racks before enjoying.

I hope you will give this recipe a try soon and that it becomes a family favorite for you, too!