By Mandy Froelich / Life in Bloom
Happy Halloween!
I know that when it gets to this time of the year, heavy emphasis is on the desserts, treats, costumes, and candy. That doesn’t need you have to abandon hope in healthy options, however.
To celebrate Halloween and some great friends who are embarking on their next journey, I decided to make these delicious Squash Muffins with a Sugar Glaze & Candied Almonds. No, they’re not raw, but they are gluten-free and I felt would be a great way to inspire others to keep believin’ in healthy holiday food.
Being in Costa Rica, there is somewhat of a shortage of ‘regular baking ingredients, so this recipe is adapted into what I had…and still came out great! Enjoy!
Squash Muffins with Candied Almonds [Vegan, Gluten-Free]
Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Serving Size: 15
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp Acorn Squash, steamed and pureed
- 3/4 Cup Almond Milk (I made mine fresh!)
- 2/3 Cup Raw Honey
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Molasses (I used Agave – not the same..but what do you do?)
- 2 Cup All-Purpose, Bob’s Gluten-Free Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease a muffin tin with olive oil or use cupcake liners.
2) In a medium-size bowl, mix puree, milk, sugar, water, oil, and molasses.
3) In a separate bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Combine both into one and stir well.
4) Spoon your batter into the muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Yields: 15 muffins
5) Take out, let cool and top with glaze & candied almonds… (recipes below)
Candied Almonds
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Serving Size: n/a
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1 tsp powdered vanilla
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
- Nutmeg to taste
Directions:
1) Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
2) Bake at 400 degrees for 7-9 minutes on parchment paper or a silpat.
3) Let cool and use to top muffins.
Sugar Glaze
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Serving Size: n/a
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup un-refined powdered sugar (vegan)
- 1/8 cup Almond Milk
Directions:
1) Using a fork, whisk both ingredients until a thick but smooth icing is formed. Use to drizzle over your muffins and serve!
We heated up a little bit of the almond milk in a sauce pan, added some raw honey and cinnamon…Yum!
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Love,
Mandy
