Leaning into the basic bitch within

*Pumpkin Spice has entered the chat.

It’s that time of year. You dig up your Ugg boots from 2012, you dust off your Aritzia hoodie sweater and leggings and you reach for the Pumpkin Spice.

You hear a sound.

It’s the basic bitch within purring with satisfaction.

Pumpkin Spice, with its blend of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and allspice, is pretty kick-ass even if you’re leaning into more mainstream delights.

It’s inevitable that during fall, no matter where you shop, there will be something with the label “Pumpkin Spice ______”. After some research, I realized we all have one company to thank for this trend - Starbucks.

Back in 2003, Starbucks released a latte that contained pumpkin spice syrup, surprisingly containing no actual pumpkin spice in it (shocking).

As the story goes, companies saw how popular this item became and how much money there was to be made from it. So much so, that many other companies hopped on the band wagon to offer their own products.

Today, Pumpkin Spice goes beyond coffee and desserts with brands introducing pumpkin-spice flavoured cooking spray, tooth paste, deodorant, hummus and even pumpkin spice Spam (no thank you ma’am).

Instead of venturing out to try these (mostly) artificial products, I decided I needed to make a spice mix of my own so I could transfer any dessert I wanted into a treat to enjoy during fall!

Introducing my Not-So-Basic Pumpkin Spice Mix and Keto Friendly Pumpkin Spice Muffins.

The pumpkin spice is so easy to make and I’m guessing that most of us have these spices laying around our pantries. This mix adds so much flavour to these incredibly easy-to-make muffins, which are light, tender and stay moist for days.

Now, fly my basic bitches. Fly!

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Not-So-Basic Pumkpin Spice Mix

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon ginger

• 2 teaspoons nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all of the spices into a container and shake what your mama gave you to combined all the spices together.

2. Store in an airtight container for up to one year.

• Best to sift this mix into your recipes to reduce any clumping.

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Pumpkin Spice Muffins

makes 6 - 8 muffins

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups almond flour

• 1/2 cup Lakanto monk fruit (can use coconut sugar if you are not keto)

• 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 4 eggs, room temperature

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• handful of pumpkin seeds, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place muffin liners into the wells of a standard size muffin baking pan and set aside.

2. Sift the almond flour, monk fruit, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice mix and whisk together in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until everything is combined into a smooth batter. Do not over mix, just stir until everything is incorporated into the batter.

5. It is helpful to use a large scoop (like an ice cream scoop) to evenly distribute the batter into each well filling up 3/4 way. Otherwise, a regular spoon can be used to fill your liners.

6. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of the muffins before baking.

7. Bake your muffins for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

8. Take out of the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

9. You can easily convert these into cupcakes by topping them with a shit-ton of frosting and an extra sprinkle of that pumpkin spice goodness. Enjoy!

I love to see when people create the recipes I publish. If you make this dinner, please take a picture and tag me on instagram @dinewithivana