One thing that’s been especially hard during my recent health struggles is that I’ve had some negative feelings resurface surrounding food and restriction. Those of you who’ve been reading for years may know that one of the reasons I started blogging back in 2008 was to share my journey to health. I spoke a lot about my journey to recovery from disordered eating, something I had struggled with for over a decade.
When I taught myself how to cook and fell in love with making plant-based recipes, I started to make positive associations with food again. And slowly, as I learned to eat intuitively (and embraced therapy!), I built a solid, positive foundation channeling that energy into something that made me feel really good. I don’t know where I’d be now if I didn’t have your support and community along the way. Knowing that my readers were eager to try out the recipes I was sharing kept me immensely motivated to keep going! It still does to this day.
The various symptoms I’ve been dealing with this past year (as well as committing to the dreaded allergy elimination diet) have challenged my relationship with food a great deal. If you’ve dealt with food allergies or sensitivities, you know how much it can drive you crazy in frustration as you try to figure out what’s going on. Every single food becomes suspect. I had incorrectly thought that it was a single food causing my troubles, when in fact it was much more complex than I had realized, with many hormonal imbalances and other systems at play.
Over the past year I found myself starting to question everything I was putting into my body, to the point where for a while I was only consuming a handful of specific foods. I didn’t know what I could eat because everything seemed to be causing reactions. It really messed with my head for a while there! This isn’t my first test by any means, and I know that these challenges and setbacks are a normal part of the journey—there’s no shame in struggling with things you may have thought you’d beaten. I can already tell that this experience has had many silver linings, one of them being a deeper appreciation for my health. And as I’ve seen my health improve over the past couple months, I’ve been so relieved to be getting back to a friendly place with food again by celebrating what it can do for me rather than fearing it!
And what better way to celebrate food this time of year than with the irresistible combo of chocolate and pumpkin? These rich and chocolaty gluten-free and vegan muffins have been enjoyed by everyone lucky enough to get their hands on a trial batch…minus a couple chocolate-hating toddlers roaming around our kitchen. *shrugs* Needless to say, Eric and I have had our fair share throughout the testing process…no complaints over here. Pair the muffins with my popular Pumpkin Spice Latte and you’ll have yourself a delicious and festive autumn snack!
One Bowl Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins
Yield
12 muffins
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These moist, dense, gooey pumpkin chocolate muffins are similar to that feeling you get walking through a pumpkin patch, sipping dark hot chocolate, and crunching colourful autumn leaves beneath your feet! Picture a delicious pumpkin chocolate cake or brownie—but in muffin form. What could be better? How about that they take just one bowl to make! This recipe is adapted from Beaming Baker and my Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins.
Ingredients
For the chia egg:
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground chia seed*
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water
For the wet ingredients:
- 1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened pumpkin purée
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup (80 g) coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) gluten-free rolled oats, blended into a fine flour**
- 1/2 cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice***
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2/3 cup (120 g) non-dairy chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, divided**** (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
- Add the rolled oats to a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ground chia seed and water until combined. Set aside for a few minutes to thicken.
- To the same bowl, add the rest of the wet ingredients (pumpkin, oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla) and stir until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients (oat flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth (I love using my big whisk for this task!).
- Set aside 1/4 cup (45 g) of chocolate chips (if using) for the topping and stir the remaining chips into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each two-thirds full. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes (I bake for 22), until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove each muffin and place it directly onto the cooling rack until fully cooled. Leftover muffins can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for several days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Tip:
* If desired, you can use 1 tablespoon ground flax in place of the ground chia seed. Proceed with mixing in the 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water as directed.
** You can use 150 grams oat flour rather than grinding your own (this is equal to 1 cup and 7 tablespoons oat flour measured using the scoop-and-shake-until-level method). Alternatively, 1 1/2 cups (233 g) whole-grain spelt flour will also work as a swap for the oat flour. If using whole-grain spelt flour, you will likely need to bake the muffins for a couple extra minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Please keep in mind that spelt flour is not gluten-free.
*** If you're a big pumpkin spice fan, you can use up to 1 tablespoon of spice mix in this recipe.
**** Try chopped walnuts or pecans for a crunchy, healthy twist!
You can make these muffins into a loaf instead. Simply pour the batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (I bake for 46) at 350°F (180°C) until a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Oats (even gluten free oats) are not tolerated by many what are gluten intolerant, and for those people, spelt is not an option. Is there any other substitute you can suggest?
Hi PJ, That’s such a good point, thank you for mentioning! I haven’t tested any other flours, but I will certainly update the recipe if I do. I wonder if a good all purpose GF mix might work?
Hi Angela! I wanted to say thank you for the delicious muffin recipe! I made it and absolutely loved them! When I made them, I substituted 1:1 sprouted quinoa flour and they still turned out really well. Hope that helps PJ in her quest for a GF substitute.
Thanks again and have a great one :)
That’s great your swap worked! Thank you so much for reporting back and I’m so glad you love them so much. :)
Hi PJ and Angela,
I own a gluten/vegan bakery and I to answer your question PJ you can make this recipe with just a gluten free all purpose flour. I used Bob’s Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. I never use special flour in my own recipe that I have developed for my bakery or when I find a recipe online that I want to make at home for my family.
These look delicious! Going to make a batch tomorrow using a pumpkin from our garden :) Thanks for your amazing recipes!
Oh I’d love to hear how they go using fresh pumpkin…I have that on my list. :)
Just made them using fresh pumpkin and they are perfection :)
So happy to hear that Nadine :) thank you!
Oats are not gluten free. They are listed as gluten free because the FDA allows a certain amount of additives/components to go under the wire and call them acceptable. For people with diseases, allergies, intolerances or such, this is bad news. If You still are having food issues and don’t know why, I would suggest getting rid of the outs, and making Your own flour mixtures as well. But don’t stop posting yummy recipes!! ?
Hey Julie, Thanks so much for your comment! Does this mean that the “certified gluten-free oats” can still contain small amounts of gluten? I wasn’t aware of this, but I appreciate you chiming in! I’m sure it varies by the brand too.
Not to create further confusion but just thought I’d add a note about oats I’ve learned recently. Oats do not naturally contain gluten (they can be become gluten “contaminated” if manufactured in a facility with other gluten containing grains) but they do contain gliadin which is another protein that people can be sensitive to. I was tested recently and was found to be intolerant to gluten and much more intolerant to gliadin. Anyway, this recipe looks excellent. I’ll have to give it a try – I’m sure a GF free flour blend would work very well.
Hey Jacquie, that’s so interesting…thanks for sharing! I’d love to hear how it goes if you try a GF flour blend.
I talked to my gluten-free husband about this and he said that the Bob’s Red Mill brand of gluten free oats is actually gluten free. The website says they test all the time and do what they can to segregate stuff.
Hey Christine, Thank you for chiming in! It seems like there’s so much different information out there about it. Good to know!
These look delicious and I want to try them, but my son cannot have coconut, so is there a different oil and sugar I am able to use to replace those ingredients?
Hi Mallory, Oh yes absolutely! I think any granulated sugar should work (cane sugar, brown sugar, etc) and you can use grapeseed oil instead of coconut oil…works awesome. Another light-tasting oil may work too, but I only tested those two. Hope this helps and that you and your son enjoy them. :)
You have no idea how well I can relate. Word for word. How conflicting to find others are suffering with the same things. On one side, I feel relieved and supported, on the other, I know how hard it is. Both mentally and physically. It took me several tries before I could stick to my elimination diet, because I hate restricting now. It helps to remember that it is only temporary and that it will also allow your body to heal itself. You’re basically taking care of your body and showing it love. At least, I thought of it that way and it helped me get through. Keep your chin up. You got this. ;)
PS. Love this allergen friendly recipe!
Hi Riley, Thank you so much for your thoughtful words! I’m sorry you’ve experienced something similar…but I can so relate that it brings back those feeling of restriction and messes with the mind. I hope you are on your way to feeling better these days!
Made these over the weekend with regular whole wheat flour and they were great! My non-vegan husband loves them.
Hey Kim, I’m so glad they worked with WWF…thanks for sharing! Did your bake time change at all?
I baked them for 25 and they were perfect.
That’s great to know, thanks Kim! :)
How much WWF did you use?
Wow these look amazing! Thanks so much for sharing! Can’t wait to see what my kids think of them after school. I hope you get through to the bottom of your food allergies soon, it seems so unfair that someone who gives as much food love to the world as you do should be going through this :( Hugs.
Thanks Anna :) I’m so encouraged by the progress I’ve made in a couple months…so happy to be feeling better than I was!
Looks yummy, can’t wait to try these maybe today?!
Thanks, I hope you love them!
The muffins look delicious and your words ring very true for me. I struggle with severe IBS and have also been recovering from anorexia. My recovery has been so much harder because of all the issues with my gut. I would really encourage you to check out thereallife-rd.com and rachaelhartleynutrition.com, as well as Christy Harrison’s podcast FoodPsych. They are all non-diet dietitians who are doing amazing work in the field of disordered eating. We are all on our own journey with our relationships to food and our bodies. Thanks for sharing this! The recovery process is so humbling, but these setbacks can remind us why we need to keep working to represent the values we hope our children will hold.
Hi Hillary, Thanks so much for sharing the dietitians recommendations! I’ll look them up for sure. I find the topic area of intuitive eating and body positivity to be so inspiring. I wish you all the best with your health and recovery!
I can relate to the food allergy issues & no longer miss gluten at all, actually when I think of how ill it made me, it never even tempts me! Not even pizza, my fave before!
What I wish is that you had a version of these without the oil & sugar. I can subst applesauce for oil, so will try that. I do not use sugar, only maple syrup & stevia. Any suggestions for replacing the coconut sugar (I also cannot have coconut due to it’s negative effects on cholesterol. Have managed to reduce this with Red Yeast Rice, so do not have to take statin…yay! But coconut somehow causes the body to produce more cholesterol, unfortunately. Plus I have to be diligent with my weight, just a lifelong problem well controlled with my healthy, WFPB diet! Despite my health issues, I am still able to cook…big YAY!
That’s so wonderful you’ve found relief with some food allergies! I’m sorry I don’t have a version of these that you can make, but I’d love to hear what you come up with.
Hi Angela,
I can’t wait to give this recipe a try :) It looks so yummy! I really enjoyed this blog post, especially because I’m ALSO going down the road of a food elimination diet. I’ve recently had a few nasty allergic reactions to food, and my doctor has recommended keeping a food journal and trying a food elimination diet until I can get allergy tested. I live in Ottawa (Ontario) and the wait time for allergy testing is 6 months! Is there a particular resource you used/looked to, for how to do safely/properly do a food elimination diet? I’m at a total loss for where to begin here. Any recommendations would be MUCH appreciated.
Hey Angie, Sorry to hear you are dealing with allergies! After months and months of trying to fix my issues on my own (a la Dr. Google…lol), I finally set aside my stubbornness and went to a naturopath. This is where I had the food sensitivity testing done and from there I cut out the “highly sensitive” foods on the list for a couple months and I’ve been gradually reintroducing them. As it turns out, my issues weren’t solely food related like I thought. My naturopath explained to me that various hormonal imbalances can actually cause reactions to foods so it’s important to look at the “whole picture” when treating these things. I hope this helps…wishing you all the best!
I feel like what you are going through with your health is so relevant in other people’s lives as well… including myself. I have tested positive for MULTIPLE food intolerances a couple years ago (and so has my teenage daughter) and it has made for a difficult and frustrating journey of figuring out what to eat everyday! Thankfully, we turned to your recipes and have found incredible joy in eating delicious food that doesn’t react with our bodies. Thank you for being open about your health struggles, we share with you in what seems like is becoming epidemic and the more we speak out about it, we create awareness for others. I’m sure many environmental factors are playing a part! By the way… I made these delicious muffins yesterday and they are TO DIE for! So tasty with a hot coffee on a chilly day. My husband and I may have hid them from the kids, lol.
Hey Lisa, I’m so glad you made these muffins already and enjoyed them so much! I agree they are great with a hot coffee…there’s something awesome about that chocolate-coffee combo. :) And thank you so much for your kind words…it’s always scary talking about these things, so to receive this kind of support is so, so appreciated.
Sorry to hear about your health troubles. Your recipes are a staple in our house and we appreciate everything you do. Glad to hear you are on the up. Definitely going to give these muffins a whirl, they look delicious. ?
Hi Amber, thank you! That truly means the world to me :) I hope you love the muffins!
Thank you for all your transparency and perseverance – can I ever relate! One thing that helped me on a rotation diet was making small magnetic strips of every plant-based food that I COULD eat, along with days of the week. I’d move them around on the side of my fridge to keep track, and it help me feel less deprived to see all my options.
These look great! They have more sugar than I would normally allow myself (autoimmune no-no for me), but I’m going to a women’s church gathering and these sound perfect! Do you think they would work as mini muffins with a little icing for a dessert?
That’s such a great idea! I can relate to making a list of foods you CAN eat…I was doing that too when I was in the really restrictive phase (luckily I’m not right now) and it did help a lot. :) I think mini muffins with frosting would be great! You’d want to adjust the bake time as they wouldn’t need quite as long to bake.
Are these ok on the counter or do they have to be refrigerated after they are made?
I’ve always refrigerated them, but they should be okay on the counter in a container for a couple days. :)
So looking forward to surprising my family with these. I have one vegan, one gluten free and one refined sugar free family members and they are going to love that all three of them can enjoy the same food. going to try making this over the weekend. thank you for sharing all of your delicious recipes!
What a sweet idea to surprise your family, Debi! I hope they’re a hit. :) Thanks for your support!
I just made these according to the recipe above and they turned out wonderfully! My family is going to be so happy with their afternoon snack! Thank you, as always, for another solid go-to, Angela. Wishing you all the best in your journey to health!
Hey Melissa, thank you so much for your kind wishes! I’m so happy the muffins were a hit. I hope your family loves them too!
Awesome recipe I’m going to try the loaf! Thank you❤️
Thanks Ruth, I’d love to hear what you think!
These are amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks Christen, so glad you like it!
I just pulled these out of the oven and they are AMAZING. I am vegan and my hubby has celiac disease so we don’t attempt too many baked goods, but these turned out perfect! I also lucked out and found a pumpkin spice blend at Trader Joe’s this morning.
Aww so glad they were a hit! And I agree, those pumpkin pie spice blends are so handy.
Made these today and they were delicious. My 10 year old (very picky eater) son loved them too :)
So happy to hear that you tried them already! Thanks for your feedback :)
Hi Angela,
I’m sorry you’re struggling with sensitivities. If you’re open to trying something different, my family has had a lot of success with NAET. It’s pretty “out there” and I’m unclear how it works but what matters is that it does. I was at the end of my rope when I tried it and was willing to look outside the box, as long as it brought healing to my kid. In the end, it’s worked for that first kid’s food sensitivities, my oldest daughter’s migraines and my seasonal allergies. So anyway, something else to consider…
Hey Chloe, thank you for sharing, I haven’t heard of NAET before. That’s so great your little one got relief!
This looks amazing! Call me crazy but the photos you posted with the recipe looks like it has a cream-filled center. Does it? Did I miss something? I can’t wait to try these.
Ahhh haha that’s too funny! I think that’s the melted vegan butter you’re seeing? :)
AHAHAHA!!!! Thank you for the clarification! That DOES make sense :)
Do I need to put chia seeds in grinder (I don’t have one) or food processor?
Hey Melissa, I grind them in my Vitamix (I store a small bag in my freezer so I always have it on hand), but I’ve heard you can do it in spice grinders too. I’m not sure if a food processor will do it or not! I wonder if it would break them down enough. I also have a ground flax option in my tips if that is more convenient!
Oh I feel you here sooo much and wish you well on your recovery. Food issues can be a real mindboggle. I was diagnosed with celiac disease a couple of years ago but then had big issues with some of the GF alternatives. I wanted to chime in on the oats – the Canadian Celiac Association has great detail but certified oats are GF although some people (especially recently diagnosed) may not be able to tolerate.
Yes they sure can….I’m sorry to hear about your celiac disease. I can’t imagine what a huge life overhaul that would be. Thanks so much for the tip about the CCA too!
I’ve been bemoaning my, “I can’t eat anything” saga, myself, thanks to an elimination diet here, too. What am I missing so much? Bakery!! This will be getting printed and baked!
Hey Kathy, I love that…doesn’t it feel so nice to just dig in bake something special sometimes? I hope you love the muffins! Sending lots of healing vibes your way.
Hi Angela, so sorry your struggling, sending all my best wishes. I have read your blog for many years; I had IBS throughout my 20s which really restricted my food intake, and your blog and yummy plant based recipes have always, and continue to, inspire and cheer me up. Hope you feel better soon X
Hi Ellie, Thank you so much for your support! It means the world to me, and I’m so grateful that you’ve enjoyed so many of my recipes over the years. Hugs!
Dear Angela,
I have been reading your posts on Oh She Glows for the last five years and I can’t thank you enough for changing my relationship with food and cooking. Your recipes inspired me to get back in the kitchen and connect with real food. You first cookbook is well used in my home and I have gifted it to almost everyone I know. I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old so your pregnancy and motherhood posts resonate with me on a deeply personal level. I appreciate your ability to be raw, honest, funny, and genuine in your writing. Since I stopped breastfeeding my daughter about a year ago my hormones have been out of balance. This has caused many digestive and health issues which in turn have affected my relationship with food and exercise. My faith in the medical system has waned over the years so out of desperation I turned to a team of naturopaths to help me. After having a food intolerance test I was devastated to discover 50 foods that don’t agree with me (many of which I consumed on a regular basis: cashews, almonds, wheat, rice, eggs, cheese and the list goes on). Reading your latest posts have given me hope and comfort in knowing I am not alone with what I am feeling and experiencing. Many days food feels like the enemy and has once again changed my relationship with food. Planning meals has become stressful and my passion for cooking is on the back-burner! I just want to thank you for connecting with me; it is strange to feel bonded with a complete stranger however the online community you have created is amazing. You are an incredible individual and I appreciate you and everything you have created.
Sincerely,
Mel
Hi Mel, wow…I can’t thank you enough for your kind words and for sharing your story (it brought tears to my eyes because I can relate so much!). It means so much to me to hear that my recipes have given you hope and inspiration. I can totally relate to how difficult and confusing it all can be, not to mention how much these things can trigger “food is the enemy” emotions which are so draining to deal with on a day-to-day basis. I was also in a huge cooking slump for a while there…it’s no fun when your passion is taken away from you (even temporarily). I hope that you start to see improvements soon and that you are back in the kitchen whipping up all kinds of recipes in no time! Sending you lots of healing vibes.
Can I use a real egg in substitute of the chia egg? I really want to try this!
Hey Betty, I haven’t tested it myself so I can’t say for sure, but I can’t see why not! I’m sure other readers would love to hear how it goes too.
I’ve got these muffins baking in the oven. The smell is going to make my husband pass out when he walks in the door :) I am rooting for you!! Sending love along.
Hey Carrie, ah that’s too funny!! Haha. I love how cozy the smell of baking makes our house feel this time of year :)
Made these yesterday and they were fantastic! I did make a couple substitutions as follows: Instead of melted oil I used 1/4 cup of very finely grated zucchini. Instead of coconut sugar I used granulated monk fruit sweetener, and instead subbed about 1/3 of the oat flour out with almond flour. They were moist and full of flavor. Will definitely make again.
Hey Sheila, thank you so much for sharing your swaps…what a fun idea to swap the oil for finely grated zucchini. Glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Your toddler doesn’t like chocolate?! What? My kiddo drinks a chocolate smoothie every morning, clearly it helped that I had one every morning while pregnant and nursing lol Well, more muffins for you lol
I’m starting to question whether we’re related at all…hahah! Arlo seems to be turning a corner as he requested a few chocolate chips from the bag when I was baking yesterday. ;)
These were DELICIOUS ! So easy, addicting and filling ! You did it again Angela !!
Whohoo! Thanks for the kind words. :)
Hello Angela,
I have made these on Monday. Put them in the freezer so we could grab one for our lunch. Turns out my boyfriend loves them straight from the freezer… and has been eating them for dessert. I’ll have to make another batch for next week, we are almost out!!
Thank you so much for the recipe.!
Oh that’s too funny! I’ve definitely had a muffin frozen and not sure I was a big fan of it, but when you’re hangry you’re hangry…haha. So happy you both love the recipe so much.
Made this tonight! I forgot to add the pumpkin pie spice, so after three minutes in the oven, I carefully added some pumpkin pie spice to each muffin. It worked out fine!
They are DELISH, by the way.
Oh wow, nice save ;) I hate that panicky feeling when I forget an ingredient…sounds like you handled it better than I usually do hah. So glad you loved the muffins Christine!
I had to make this recipe right away and it was BEYOND delicious!!! My husband went crazy for them too. Thank you!
I’m so happy the muffins were a hit, Jackie! Thank you :)
Hi Angela, made these delicious muffins for my non vegan sons today, they absolutely loved them! I’ll definitely be making them again, love your cook book to!
So glad the muffins were a hit, Donna! Thank you so much for your cookbook support too :)
Thank you so much for the nut-free recipes lately!
These turned out wonderfully! I baked mine for about 32 minutes total, but maybe my liners were a bit taller than your average one? In any case, super delicious – thank you!
My pleasure Laura! Nut-free is something I’m asked for a lot so I try to make sure the recipes have options whenever possible :) I’m so glad you loved the muffins!
I made these this weekend (without the chocolate chips because I didn’t have any) and they are awesome! It amounted to 12 smaller muffins and have made for the perfect add on to breakfast or snack! I know it’s not easy to do, but I would recommend cooling completely before enjoying!
Thank you so much, Angela! Your recipes never disappoint!
Definitely not easy to do ;) Thank you so much for the kind words, too. I’m so happy you love the muffins!
I have made these twice now, the second time doubling the recipe (that uses up the can of pumpkin puree;)).
They are delicious! Moist and full of a nice spicy flavour…Only qualm about these is that with the amount of sugar, maple syrup and oil that perhaps they should be called a cupcake?;) Suprisingly though they do not come off at all as too sweet, so reluctant to reduce sweetener amounts…Wondering about subbing some applesauce for some of the oil on the next batch – definitely will be doing another batch! New fall muffin favourite.
Hey Suzanne, One thing I love to do with my baked goods is to use the least amount of sweetener I can while still making the baked good taste amazing!! So I too was surprised by how much sweetener I felt these needed until all the flavours popped….but I’ve found that when using a lot of pumpkin like this recipe does (a full cup!), it’s needed to balance out the squash and bitterness of cocoa powder. One way you can easily reduce the sweetener is to omit the chocolate chips…I do this all the time and it’s a bit more respectable as a breakfast or snack. ;) Of course you can reduce the sweetener too, they’ll just taste a bit more bitter. Hope this helps and I’m so glad you enjoy them so much!
Would 1 egg be right amount to sub for the chia egg?
Hey Marilia, I haven’t tested it myself so I can’t say for sure, but I can’t see why not!
Hi Angela,
I tried it with 2 eggs and it turned out great.
Thanks for sharing Ana!
Oh, I can so relate to what you said about celebrating food for what it does for you rather than fearing it! In college, a long period of stress culminated in a nasty case of gastritis, which was compounded by a stomach bug that knocked out my dairy tolerance…before and after being diagnosed and given meds to treat the gastritis, I spent an awful lot of time feeling nauseous and had a narrow list of foods that felt safe — mostly bland and uninteresting ones, unfortunately. Even after my gut healed, it took so long to work myself out of the safe-food/un-safe food box I’d put myself in during recovery. I had a minor bout of stress-related gut irritation again this spring and it was scary how fast those feelings came back after a decade of enjoying food in a celebratory way. I’m glad to hear you’re finally starting to feel like your attitude toward food is starting to return to normal finally. :)
Thank you so much for sharing Lilian! It means so much to me to know that others have struggled with the same things before. It can be such an isolating experience! I really appreciate your support. And yes….it’s such a good feeling to get back to that celebratory feeling with food. I’m getting back to it week by week and I’m even more grateful for it now.
Dear Angela,
In my experience, pregnancy aggravated my mild food allergies. I do believe, as you wrote, hormones have a lot to do with it. Histamine itself is a hormone, necessary for digestion and many other functions. There are plenty of blogs about histamine intolerance and I recommend reading a little bit about this subject. Even if it’s not the specific issue that you are experiencing you will find tons of food lists that have all kinds of micronutrients that help your body process and lower its natural histamines, which are probably spiking if you’re having allergic reactions.
For me a light salad of Arugula, Apple, parsley or cilantro, cucumbers and onions (if you’re in the mood) can be healing and soothing when I’ve had a bad reaction. These foods (and lots more) all have great therapeutic qualities. Maybe some of them will even inspire some new recipes.
I wish you the best of health!
Thanks so much Charlie! Isn’t it amazing how interconnected the hormones are in the body? I find it so interesting to read about!
I love the sounds of that salad too.
These are decidedly delicious! I wasn’t sure how the chocolate and pumpkin spice would work, but it’s a lovely combination. I brought a double batch into work and they went very quickly (and received rave reviews)!
Whohoo, awesome news! Lucky coworkers ;) So glad you all loved them.
Chocolate with pumpkin what a delicious combination!
Looks yummy. Could I adapt this recipe to make a cake?
Hey Sara, It would be a dense, brownie-like texture, but if you don’t mind that then I think it should work okay. I made it into a loaf and it worked well! The only thing I don’t know is bake time….my guess is 30 to 40 minutes depending on how thick the layer(s) are. Keep checking every 5 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
It seems like they are very tasty. I will defiantly make this for my daughter.
What a great post! I also struggle with disordered eating and it is a constant battle but I am getting better as I move towards a more normal way of eating. Good luck to you on your journey. This recipe looks amazing and something to try on the kids for sure!
Thank you Amy, I appreciate it so much. I’m wishing you well on your journey too!
Have you heard of Medical Medium? I think you could really benefit from his information. He has healed hundredths of thousands of people through simple things like celery juice every morning.
I’m reading it right now actually, thanks to my awesome blog readers for recommending it! Thank you Marina :)
This recipe is delicious! The taste/texture are exactly how you describe them. I made it the way the recipe is written, did a loaf, and the whole family loved it. I’m thinking of making it into a chocolate cake for my daughters birthday (without the pumpkin pie spice) I was going to double the recipe and do two layers. Any thoughts on baking time?
Hey Leila, I’m so glad the loaf size worked for you! That’s a fun idea about making it into a double-layered cake. I haven’t tried doubling it before so I’m not positive it would work (sometimes baked goods are funny when doubling)…I would probably suggest doing a trial run first in case it doesn’t work. As for bake time, I would guess they’d take anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes depending on how thick they are, but I’d check the layers every 5 minutes or so until a toothpick comes out clean. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try anything out!