Paleo Chai Pumpkin Muffins

My South Indian nana makes masala chai every morning. It's a daily ritual and it's all her own. I'm not even sure if it would be considered "chai" by our Starbucks-y chai standards, but I remember being so intrigued by the stuff when I was growing up. By the way, if anybody out there is saying, "chai tea"... I will throw up on you. "Chai" means "tea." It's just CHAI.

OK, vomiting threat over. I adore the flavor of masala chai. That mix of cardamom and cinnamon and mmmmm. I'm just so into it. And I'm into these muffins too. I don't make sweets/baked goods too often, but when I do... I like 'em spicy. 

Chai Pumpkin Muffins Paleo (not Whole30-approved)—recipe inspired by PaleOMG

• 2 cups pecan butter (homemade with a few pinches of sea salt—just let the food processor do the work! You can use any nut.)
• 1.5 cup pureed pumpkin
• 2 bananas, mashed up
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup honey (optional)
• 6 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1.75 tsp cinnamon
• 1.75 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder (optional—I didn't have any so went without and it wasn't a disaster)
• Sea salt, two pinches

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients together and the wet ingredients together, then combine the wet and dry in a big mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and spoon into a greased muffin pan. Bake for about 20 minutes (or until you can stick a knife in the middle and it comes out clean). Let rest for a minute and then EAT.

 

Thoughts, ideas and other uses:

• Add walnuts or raisins, if you like that sort of thing.
• Serve with homemade apple butter or a drizzle of coconut oil
• Make a paleo icing. I'd have done this if I hadn't been too eager to eat them up.
• Make it into bread pudding or a cake. You can really use this recipe as a master for any bread/cake-like things and just change the spices.
• You might enjoy these paleo banana muffins too, though be warned that the almond flour makes those a little grittier in texture.

Hope you like 'em!