Having had somewhat of a love affair with chickpeas my whole life, I find it odd that only relatively recently have I discovered the wonder that is chickpea flour. It’s a protein powerhouse: just one cup has 21 grams of protein. That’s about double the amount of protein found in a cup of all-purpose wheat flour and still five grams more than whole wheat flour. In addition, it also has 10 grams of dietary fiber — three times as much as all-purpose flour and just under the amount in a cup of whole wheat flour.

So when I found myself craving pumpkin and the delightful fall spices that typically accompany said squash, I decided to try adding chickpea flour to the mix. The results did not disappoint. These muffins are flavorful with a delicious, moist interior. And because the other type of flour used in these muffins is oat flour, this recipe is very easy to make gluten free (just use gluten-free oat flour or gluten-free oats to make your own oat flour!).

These muffins are low in added sweeteners, so they certainly aren’t a sickeningly sweet treat. But they make a very satisfying, guilt-free snack or breakfast. And with something this packed full of spices, I find that I like being able to taste the complexity of the flavors rather than just tasting sweetness. But if sweets are your thing, don’t hesitate to make these a little sweeter! They’ll still have all the nutrition that oats, chickpeas, pumpkin, and ginger have to offer!

Protein-Packed Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 flax “egg” (1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons agave nectar (this recipe is designed to be low in added sweeteners. If you like sweeter muffins, try adding more agave nectar or a few tablespoons of coconut sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almond or soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (I often add even more than this because of the health benefits of ginger)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 chickpea flour or besan
• 3/4 cup oat flour (I ground my own by putting rolled oats in the food processor)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin by whisking your flax egg together in a small bowl and setting it aside. Next, combine the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the almond milk and spices. In a smaller bowl, combine the two flours with the baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring well to eliminate any lumps.

Whisk the flax mixture into the wet ingredients. Follow this by slowly adding the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk to incorporate if there are lumps.

Once the batter is mixed together, divide it among 10-12 spaces in a muffin tin. Bake 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!