Grain-free Acorn Squash Muffins

I'm a little done with this same flavor behind all these grain-free bread products, all made with almonds.  I suppose I might feel the same way if I'd never had wheat products and suddenly all my breads were made with it.  It's my new normal.  <sigh>

That said, these were tasty.  I reduced the sweetening to a soup spoon's scoop of honey and added a little maple flavoring, although I wish I'd used molasses instead.  These are best still warm.  They're very delicate while warm, so a bit testy getting out of the pan, but nothing a chopstick and finger nails couldn't handle.

Here's what I used:

1 cup roasted acorn squash puree
1 cup unsalted almond butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 heaping soup spoon honey
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a muffin or cakelet tin.  Mix all the ingredients until well-blended and pour immediately into the prepared pan.  (If using a cakelet pan, fill no more than 2/3 full.  Rap sharply on the counter a few times to release air bubbles and settle the batter fully into the pan.)  Bake for 18-20 minutes for cakelets -- may need a few more minutes for full-sized muffins.  Allow to cool in pan until easy to handle but still warm, then remove carefully. Yields 16 moderately-sized cakelets, 24 short ones.

Conclusion:  These were tasty, but with the same texture and background flavor as other almond-based baked goods, which just isn't the same.  I think I'll ditch the maple flavoring next time and use molasses instead of honey.  That will give a little more flavor to hopefully counteract the almond butter.

Original recipe:  Paleo Acorn  Cakelets via Enjoying This Journey