Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything, yet I've been baking and cooking more than ever. I'm in the process of finding some great recipes to add to the blog while organizing and putting our new place together piece by piece. So much has happened in the past few weeks. With my stress levels down I have stepped my goals in overdrive which means a new work out plan, new work-related goals, and a diet change. New, new new, yay! First off, I found the Nike app for my iphone a few weeks ago. It has HIIT types of workouts (plus many others) and fits a workout plan to your style. I chose to do a 6 week plan, which also syncs to the running app so I can keep track of runs while doing strength exercises. It also keeps me in check because each time I finish a run or a workout video it marks it off (which sure makes me feel really accomplished, haha). Secondly, I finished orientation at work and will be on my own tomorrow, wish me luck! My goals here are to get involved in research or projects at work, might as well when only working 2-3 days a week right? And thirdly, I've decided to go dairy free, egg free, and cane sugar free for 6 weeks. These stomach pains are too much lately and I need to figure out if it's diet related. Based on my allergy and food sensitivity tests I've taken in the past I will make these changes specifically. So from here on out I won't be cooking with any cane sugar, eggs, milk, or butter- and thus far I've made some pretty tasty things still! The only difficulties I've had so far were with eating out, cane sugar and dairy are hidden in so many things. Guess I'll be eating in more often- which means more recipes to be posted! These muffins are my favorite thing I've made this week, I just CAN'T resist eating more than one at a time... the pumpkin makes them moist and the cane sugar makes them perfectly sweet.

Ingredients:

Muffins-

1 cup white flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or all white flour)
1 cup beet sugar* (or 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut milk (or any milk)

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Streusel-

2/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup coconut sugar** 

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix, then add in the pumpkin, vanilla, coconut milk, and coconut oil. Stir in walnuts.

3. Line or spray each muffin tin, then fill each 2/3 full. Prepare streusel topping. Combine all ingredients, expect the coconut oil. Mix well, then add in the solid coconut oil and cut or pinch into peach sized chunks.

4. Add the streusel topping evenly on top of the muffins. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and puffed up. Let cool and devour. 

*My favorite new purchase to substitute out cane sugar was beet sugar. It tastes very similar to cane sugar and isn't as grainy as coconut sugar. 

**I used coconut sugar here, but you could also try it with cane sugar or beet sugar.