These orange gingerbread muffins made with teff flour and chufa flour are the perfect cold treat. They smell and taste like vacation, and they’re soft, light, and super easy to make. If you’re in need of a warm, comforting, hearty treat that’s also lectin-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free, you need to try these Orange Gingerbread Muffins. You won’t be disappointed.
The dry mix: lectin-free and gluten-free
For these orange gingerbread muffins, I chose a combination of lectin-free and gluten-free flours that I love: teff and chufa, with a little tapioca for texture. The inspiration for the base was another one of my favorite muffin recipes: Green Banana Teff Muffins.
For more information on teff, check out this article:
The wet mixture
Green (green) bananas, pasture-raised eggs, and extra virgin olive oil make these muffins extra moist and fluffy. Just combine them in the blender until smooth and creamy.
The amounts in this recipe make 12 full-sized muffins, but I usually only make half a batch.
Gingerbread spices
Everyone has their own gingerbread spice combination, but I loved this one I made (for 12 muffins): 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves , 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg. Add vanilla powder (or vanilla essence or seeds straight from a pod) and the zest of three organic oranges for even more flavor (alternatively, you can use pure orange extract).
For me, the most exciting flavor that comes through is clove. If you like it a little spicier, you can add some extra ginger. Or use your favorite spice mix, like a pumpkin pie spice mix.
This is also a great option: holiday warming spice blend
How to Make Orange Gingerbread Muffins
These muffins are very easy to make.
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with muffin paper liners.
- Blend the wet ingredients and spices in a blender until smooth and creamy.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and combine with a spatula without over mixing.
- Add the chopped pecans and fold into the batter.
- Fill the cupcake cups with batter as high as the liner to fill all 12 cupcake liners. Top with the remaining nuts.
- Bake for 35 minutes. They will be golden and no longer soft to the touch. If you’re not sure if they’re done, do the toothpick test: a toothpick inserted into a muffin should come out clean.
- Remove the muffins and let them cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the pan.
- When they are ready, arrange them on a serving plate and dust them with inulin powder.
- They can be frozen.
Gingerbread Muffins with Licorice Powder
And one more surprise ingredient: licorice root powder. If you don’t have any and want to make these muffins right now, go ahead, they’ll still be good, but you’ll have to try using licorice powder. It’s a great and versatile spice to have in your pantry.
If you think you don’t like licorice because you don’t like licorice candy, I’m here to tell you it’s not the same. The natural powder (which is just finely ground licorice root) will add a subtle flavor to your dishes. Plus, it’s naturally sweet. Licorice root is a powerful support for gut health and you’ll find it in many supplements and teas. In fact, the Total Restore formula of Dr. Steven Gundry for Gut Health is made with licorice root.
The sweetness
As with most of my “treats”, these Orange Gingerbread Cupcakes may not be sweet enough for you. I’ve re-educated my palate for at least five years, so now my taste buds and brain only require a very small amount of sweetness.
Since taste is so subjective, and we don’t know what other people’s sensitivity to sweet taste is, imagine that for me, tasting a classic gingerbread is a shock to my system. 😅
I added four tablespoons of inulin powder, but you can use any plant paradox-approved sweetener you like. Monk fruit will work well and is even sweeter than inulin.
Add an extra tablespoon or two of monk fruit if you want a slightly sweeter version of these muffins.
Here’s my sugar-free journey and my favorite natural, low-calorie sweeteners: How I Quit Sugar 5 Years Ago and Still Eat Cake.
Use more inulin powder or other powdered sweetener to dust the cupcakes. They look prettier that way.
More muffin recipes
Enjoy! And let me know if you make my Orange Gingerbread Muffins. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment.
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you decide to purchase something through one of my links, at no extra cost to you.
Ingredients
- WET INGREDIENTS:
- 4 medium green bananas
- 4 large pastured eggs (if small, add one more)
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons inulin powder (or other vegetable paradox sweetener), plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon licorice root powder
- zest of three organic oranges
- pinch of salt
- Spice mix: 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- DRY INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup of teff flour
- 1/2 cup of chufa flour
- 6 tablespoons of tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- COMPLEMENTS:
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans plus more for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with muffin paper liners.
Blend the wet ingredients and spices in a blender until smooth and creamy.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and combine with a spatula without over mixing.
Add the chopped pecans and fold into the batter.
Fill the cupcake cups with batter as high as the liner to fill all 12 cupcake liners. Top with the remaining nuts.
Bake for 35 minutes. They will be golden and no longer soft to the touch. If you’re not sure if they’re done, do the toothpick test: a toothpick inserted into a muffin should come out clean.
Remove the muffins and let them cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the pan.
When they are ready, arrange them on a serving plate and dust them with inulin powder.
notes
Most of the time, I only make half the recipe, especially if I’m only cooking for two. Please see the post for more information on the level of sweetness you should expect from these cupcakes.