Butternut Squash Chocolate Chip Muffins
Contributor: Sun Potion
Photographer: Sun Potion
"Healing, as many of you know, is not linear. And my story is no different, and as such, I’ve been incredibly drawn to and grateful for the gut-nourishing properties of Lion’s Mane."
Within this delicious butternut squash muffin recipe Cathryn Fowler open up about her healing journey, GI health, and her relationship with Lion's Mane mushroom.... We are warmed by her sincerity, vulnerability and resilient creativity - and can not wait to cozy up in the kitchen to make these muffins!
I’m forever inspired by plant medicine, by different combinations of real food, and by the way the flavors and textures meld together to create satisfaction on the taste buds and in the heart. And I’m also forever inspired to use that synergy to create pleasurable and nourishing recipes for me and others, so that we can all feel our best to joyfully pursue life without physical and mental hindrances.
Lately, though, physical hindrances have been resurfacing for me. Healing, as many of you know, is not linear. And my story is no different, and as such, I’ve been incredibly drawn to and grateful for the gut-nourishing properties of Lion’s Mane.
Lion’s Mane: As a protector of the very important mucosal lining in your gut, this remarkable medicinal mushroom can be useful in warding off digestive issues such as intestinal permeability (a.k.a. leaky gut). It is also a wonderful source of beta-glucans, an acting prebiotic that feeds your beneficial gut bacterial. And, if you're one to suffer from inflammation in your GI tract (raising my hand here right now!), Lion’s Mane comes to the rescue again as it’s been shown to help reduce GI inflammation.
So yes, very very thankful for this one lately.
And lastly, a note of encouragement to everyone who thinks they cannot create in the kitchen:
Just as physical problems can be a hindrance in our lives, so too can labeling ourselves, or putting the words, “I can’t” in our everyday vocabulary.
I still find it amazing how fun and playful we can all get with our foods if we just allow the creativity to come in the kitchen with us and leave those “I can’t” labels and hindrances behind us.
Because trust me, I would not deem myself “the most wonderful recipe creator” by any means. But, I don’t let that stop me from my playtime and experimentation in the kitchen. And I always always encourage others to do the same. Food is remarkable medicine. Creativity and just plain old having fun is remarkable medicine too. And when playfulness and food medicine fuse together…well the only way to complete the healing bliss is to enjoy your prepared foods in the community of loved ones!
So I hope this muffin recipe encourages you to experiment (what herb are you drawn to lately?), nourish yourself, and enjoy!!
Ingredients
1 cup mashed cooked butternut squash
1/4 cup nut milk (I used homemade hemp)
1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp. almond extract (I used Simply Organic)
3 flax eggs (3 tbsp. ground flax soaked in 1/3 cup water for 15 minutes)
3/4 cup green banana flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. Sun Potion Lion's Mane
1/2 tsp. sea salt
sweetener to taste (I used 1 tbsp. lakanto monkfruit, and they were a bit savory/sweet, which I personally like....but, if you want sweeter, I'd say 2-3 tbsp., and you can use maple syrup or another sweetener of your choice too.)
1/3 chopped dried apricots
1/2 chopped walnuts
1/3 chocolate chips (I used Pascha, sugar-free 100% cacao)
Method
Mix and mash all the wet ingredients together in a bowl - squash, nut milk, coconut oil, apple sauce, almond extract, and flax eggs
In the same bowl, add all the dry ingredients (banana flour, baking soda, Lion's Mane, salt, and sweetener) & mix until combined
In the same bowl, add your apricots, walnuts, and chocolate chips
Mix
Pour into a greased muffin tray and bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 F degrees
Enjoy!