Apple Carrot Spice Muffins

It FINALLY feels like fall here when the cooler temps rolled into town yesterday. 60's is much more pleasant than 90's when the leaves start falling, you go apple picking and you want to wear your favorite sweater. So it finally got me in the mood to make a nourishing and grounding fall muffin. And of course apples were on the mind... and this one's also full of grounding carrots and lots of spice.  Which is sooooo nice this time of year :)

Some hearty muffins with a hot cup of tea is just what you need to nestle into the season. The warming spices and dates will help sweeten and add nourishment in all the right ways. You also can't help but feel like you set the fall flavors bomb in your house because the aromas that these muffins produce is heavenly enough. You don't even really need to eat them :) Well, maybe I wouldn't go that far :) It's time for some fall baking ya'll!!!

Apple Carrot Spice Muffin Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, egg, seed, nut, and refined sugar-free}

1 cup of gluten-free oat flour (made from 1 cup GF rolled oats, blended in high power blender)
1/4 cup of potato starch
1/4 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup of rice flour
1/2 cup of either millet, buckwheat or quinoa flour or a mix of them all
2 ts. of baking powder (I use the Hain brand to avoid corn)
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
1 ts. of ground cardamon
1 ts. of ground cinnamon
1/2 ts. of ground cloves
1/2 ts. of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar

1/2 cup of warmed coconut oil / or use avocado oil
1/2 cup of coconut milk beverage with 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar added in
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1 TB of molasses
1 cup of shredded raw carrot

1/2 cup of date puree- This involves pouring 3/4 cup boiling water over 3/4 cup of pitted dates and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes and then blending in a high powered blender to whip up a creamy date-pudding like substance- this would also make a nice dip for fresh apple slices :)

2 cups of stewed apples- This involves pealing and chopping 2 cups of fresh apples, then in a sauce pan add the apples, 1/2 cup of apple cider (or water) and 1 ts. of ground cinnamon. Let the apples get soft and make almost an apple pie filling mixture. Finally fold in the stewed apples into the muffin recipe.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then add in the wet and whisk together well. Pour into 12-18 muffin tins and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-28 minutes until browned tops and stiff. Let cool 15-20 minutes before serving. 

Hall Fall and happy baking!!! Hope you start enjoy the abundance of fall smells, flavors and gifts! 
Much love my friends, xoxo