Pumpkin Spice Orange Banana Bars/Muffins vegan

By Lynxa

Ingredients

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1 cup Brown Rice flour
• 3 extra-ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (or applesauce)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash cayenne
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1 large orange, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
• 2-3 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (or preferred 'plant milk')
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup agave or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup crushed pecans/nuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
• 2 tbsp crushed/whole flax seeds (optional)
• *To make gluten-free sub flours with desired combination of sorghum flour, bean flour, millet flour, coconut flour etc.

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

Preparation

Step 1

*Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees* Add flour, dry spices, salt and baking powder to a large mixing bowl. Stir well.
Add in the“milk”, oil, vanilla extract, bananas, pumpkin or applesauce, orange juice and maple syrup. Stir well.
Fold in pumpkin seeds, 1 tsp of the orange zest, and additional nuts and/or dried fruit like cranberries. If you add in lots of dried extras, you may want to increase the liquid by a few Tbsp. I added coconut milk to mine. You may also want a few more dashes of flour if the chunky batter seems 'heavy and thin’to you.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper over a shallow 8×14”baking pan/dish (for bars) or line muffin tin.
Pour batter into baking dish. Smooth out for bars.
Over top the batter sprinkle pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, the other tsp of orange zest and an extra drizzle or agave or maple syrup.
bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick your bars/muffins are. Should be lightly browned on edges.
Remove. Cool. Serve! I love this bread chilled in the fridge for morning munching with a mug of hot tea. Freeze to store for more than a few days.