Flavor of the Week: Orange Pomegranate Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have a weakness for muffins.

You might have noticed, what with my posts on Banana Chocolate Chip muffins & Carrot Blueberry Muffins.

These Orange Pomegranate Chocolate Chip muffins were definitely a blog-worthy success!

The coming of fall means pomegranates appear in the grocery store. I can’t tell you how excited I was to see them! I immediately put one in my shopping cart. Didn’t hurt that they were on sale too.

The inspiration for the muffins came from having extra pomegranate arils left over from our Pomegranate Pear Quesadillas last night, then having a friend over for breakfast this morning.

She brought eggs, spinach & goat cheese. I made muffins and hot tea. What a beautiful combination.

Sadly, we gobbled up the muffins amidst our chatter about her upcoming wedding and move to New Zealand before I remembered to take a picture of the final product. But I’m sure you can imagine what they looked like. You’ve seen muffins before after all.

Inspired? Here’s the recipe:

1 c. gluten-free flour (I used a combination of brown rice flour and Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour)
1/3 c. maple syrup
sprinkle of stevia
1/3 c. coconut milk
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 Tbsp. butter (which I didn’t have, so I didn’t include)
1/8 tsp. grated orange zest
1/8 c. fresh orange juice
1/3 c. pomegranate arils
1/3 c. dark chocolate chips

Note that the above measurements are for 6 muffins. Double it up (but just keep one egg) if you want to make a dozen.

Combine all your ingredients well, stirring in the pomegranate arils and chocolate chips carefully at the end. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and gorgeous.

I might recommend including the butter and possibly adding a bit more orange juice or grapeseed oil to make sure they are moist.

Any other flavor substitutions you would make? What are your favorite fall flavors for baked goods?