Voluptuous Vegan Pumpkin Choc Chip Muffins

My (very non vegan) boyfriend loves pumpkin muffins, and I have been on a quest to get down a recipe that both him and I can enjoy. My lovely chef of a mama showed me how to substitute the eggs for flax and keep the same great muffiny consistency. Here it is:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, put through a food processor to get a smoother texture)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

3 TBS flax seed + 1/4 cup water

1 can organic pumpkin puree

3/4 cup maple syrup (if it were just me, I would use 1/2 a cup but Benjamin likes them a bit sweeter. See for yourself)

1/4 cup rice milk

1/2 cup organic unsweetened apple juice

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup vegan choc chips (or carob)

To Make:

Preheat the oven to 425. Put the 1/4 cup water on the stove to boil. Once it comes to a boil, add the flax and simmer for 3 minutes. While waiting for water to boil, mix the flour, oats (after they’ve made their rounds in the food processor), baking soda, baking powder, salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, maple syrup, rice milk and apple juice. Add the flax mixture. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then fold in the nuts and chips. Make sure not to over mix or your muffins will end up tough  .

Distribute the batter into a greased muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy! My room-mate Hannah loves them hot with some smart balance vegan butter.