Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

Banana Muffin Variation

These gluten and milk free pumpkin muffins are AMAZING!  They are great on the stomach and help you feel like you are eating regular bread again, except without feeling heavy afterwards.  My kids and husband love them!  I hope you love them too!  Our muffins go so fast, I have to double the recipe.

 1/3 Cup Canola Oil
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla
1 3/4 Cup Gluten Free Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cup Pureed Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease jumbo muffin pan.  Cream together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Puree pumpkin.  Add flour and pumpkin to egg mixture, alternating between the two.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in nuts.  Batter will be somewhat soft.  Transfer to pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes: There is nothing like fresh pureed pumpkin.  There are no preservatives and you know what you are getting.  The best time to get some is after halloween.  Then you can process and can them yourself.  You can substitue sucanat for the brown sugar and use aluminum free baking powder.  The gluten free flour is made with rice flour, millet flour, and tapioca flour.  I'll post that recipe soon.  If you don't want to use pumpkin, you can substitute the pumpkin for bananas.  The measurements will be the same.  Enjoy!