Expectations. They are a funny thing. When set too high, you might get easily disappointed. When they are too low, you might be happily surprised. Or, maybe expectations are met, wherever they are on the spectrum.
We expected to have an amazing time at Oktoberfest, as we have every year, and by golly, we did. We ate, drank, and were merry on Friday night.
Though we also expected to magically get another table Saturday morning at a bigger tent, but were a little disappointed to have to stand. Granted we made the most of it and cherished every second of the 15 minutes of table glory before they kicked us out for the next reservations.
I also expected a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad hangover, and hey, it was better than usual!
A minor detail of the weekend expectations were these pumpkin apple millet cups. I served them the first morning, and when my brother bit into it, he expected one of my usual delicious baked goodies filled with lots of sugar and flour. Yes, I made them in a muffin tin and they did indeed resemble muffins so his expectations were reasonable. Though his facial expressions showed obvious disappointed and he choked it down with many a comments about the weird muffins. We don’t really sugar coat things with each other.
Had I set proper expectations, I’m convinced he would have thought differently (and I will say, they aren’t the best day-after-drinking breakfast). These are a change up to your morning oatmeal routine, not an at-home version of a bakery pumpkin muffin. That being said, they are also much healthier than that bakery version he was dreaming of. Refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, vegan, and still (surprisingly) flavorful.
So to set expectations, only make these if you want a healthy and yummy breakfast option to spice up your normal cereal or oatmeal routine. If you want a pumpkin muffin, look elsewhere! I know this isn’t my best sales pitch, but hopefully you still make them and *fingers crossed* they surpass expectations.
Blend all the wet ingredients together.
Stir all the dry ingredients together, and combine the two along with the apples and chia gel.
Bake and enjoy!
*Just to ensure you, I did get multiple positive comments about these as well, I promise. Some even requested the recipe. My brother just happens to have the most memorable reaction.
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 cup // 225g pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup // 80g maple syrup
- 1 cup // 240 mL almond or hemp milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup // 90 grams millet flakes*
- ¼ cup // 25g hazelnut meal*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- a pinch of salt
- 1 sweet apple, cut in small chunks
- ghee or coconut oil for serving
- Preheat the oven to 375F // 190C. In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds and water together. Set aside for about 10 minutes until they form a gel.
- In a medium bowl, combine the millet flakes, hazelnut meal, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder.
- In your blender, blend the pumpkin, banana, milk, vanilla, and maple syrup together until smooth.
- In the medium bowl with the dry ingredients, add in the pumpkin mixture, chia seeds, and apple chunks. Stir until combined. In a 12-piece muffin tin, line them with muffin cups. Pour the mixture into the cups evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Store in an airtight container. Serve warm with ghee, coconut oil, or butter (if not dairy-free) for best taste.
- *Substitute quick oats for the millet flakes and almond meal for hazelnut meal if that is what you have on hand. I haven't personally tried it but I think they will taste practically the same!
6 Responses
I’ll give them a second chance!
You all look so festive all dressed up! I love it! Oktoberfest sounds so fun. Nothing like cooler weather and lots of beer! Love these pumpkin apple millet cups, especially with your homemade pumpkin puree : )
Dressing up is the best 🙂 But the corset-like dress gets a little tight after a few beers!
I love the sound of these pumpkin apple millet cups! I love healthier breakfast options, so I know I’d love them!
Hi Caitlin, you have such a beautiful blog! And these muffins millet cups look so delicious, I would be happy to wake up to these for breakfast 🙂
Thanks Liora! I made a big batch and warmed em up everyday last week. easy and yummy way to start the day!