The past year and a half I’ve been experimenting with recipes that are gluten-free. My initial attempts were with rice, tapioca and potato flours, all of which I know are high in carbohydrates, in addition to concerns about arsenic in our rice supply (even organic). Paleo diets eliminate all grains. Now, don’t worry, I’m not going to throw another “diet” option at you. I’m just like many of you, still exploring the gluten-free realm and I’m not about to give up rice & lentils just yet. I do like this muffin recipe a lot because it gives me another gluten-free option, plus almond flour is packed with protein.
Recently I’ve discovered recipes with almond flour and this muffin recipe was a winner, mostly because my kids love them. It’s also quick and easy to put together, even for novice bakers. The first time I had almond flour muffins was at a luncheon my friend KC of KC’s Kafe catered. They have the same texture as regular wheat flour muffins and they’re not super sweet. I look forward to trying some different ingredients in this recipe like savory ones with fresh herbs. I adjusted this recipe from one I saw on TechnicallyPaleo. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 C almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C coconut oil, melted
1/3 C water (omit this if using fresh fruit like chopped apples)
3 T honey, coconut sap or rapadura sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Optional add-ins: chopped nuts, chopped dried fruit,chocolate chips, chopped apples, shredded cheese, herbs, bacon.
Apple cinnamon version: add 1/3 cup diced apple (to the liquid mixture), 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg (to the dry ingredients) and omit the water.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- While the oven warms, melt the coconut oil in an oven proof dish while you mix together the other ingredients.
- Mix together dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder and sugar (if using honey, add to the liquid mixture).
- In another bowl, mix the liquid ingredients: coconut oil, eggs (adding the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one), water, honey, vanilla.
- Combine the dry and liquid ingredients, mixing well. (Don’t worry about mixing too much, this recipe doesn’t have gluten which makes tough muffins if overmixed)
- Spoon batter into greased or papercup lined muffin tins (I recommend using the papercup liners for this recipe)
- Bake for 12-15 minutes
- Remove from pan to cool on a wire rack
These are great served warm with some fresh preserves or fruit.
Other hints: I use Rumford’s baking powder which is aluminum free. Yes, most other baking powders have aluminum in them! I also like to use unbleached paper liners for my muffin cups. I made this recipe into mini-muffins, it made 24 mini’s plus 4 full sized muffins. Enjoy!
This is a good base recipe. I added almonds and unsweetened coconut and my husband loved them.
What is the nutritional analysis? Anybody know?
Almonds and fresh coconut sound like great additions. These muffins are an excellent source of Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus and Vitamin E. You can find full nutritional content on SparkRecipes .
Make sure your eggs are room temperature and your mixing bowl is not cold or your coconut oil will solidify again! Haha! I didn’t notice until it was too late. I’m waiting for it all to melt again.
Good point Cheisty. Another way to avoid this problem is to slowly add the warm coconut oil to the eggs. I put the coconut oil in an oven proof dish to melt it while I gather ingredients. The coconut oil will gently warm the beaten eggs if you add the eggs (one at a time)SLOWLY and mix quickly to incorporate the liquids, otherwise the eggs will cool the mixture and solidify the coconut oil.
Has anybody tried an egg substitute in these? Flax, chia, or otherwise?
These are absolutely delicious! I am new to Paleo and I found breakfast to be a bit challenging. These were my first almond meal baking and they turned out great. I added walnuts and dried cranberries, and my husband had some for his breakfast too. Made half the recipe, yield was 8 muffins, cooked for 17.5 min.
Reflecting on what you were saying about ditching rice and lentils, I was one who always craved for sweet. I ate healthy food, lots of whole grains, beans, tofu, etc. Whenever I would cut down only part of it, I’d be craving for sweet like crazy. Ten days ago, I decided to go cold turkey, cutting down all grains, beans, bread, pasta, dairy products (except milk in my morning coffee) and all sweets but dark chocolate, and I am still amazed at not feeling deprived in any way. No more sugar binge. I am 54 and this is the first time it ever happened to me. Oh, and my weight is down as well as my blood pressure, and I feel so energetic, I am up baking muffins at 6:00 to start the day!
Glad you like the recipe Danielle. Living healthier is really a journey and it’s exciting when we can find new things that help us along the way, thanks for sharing!
I’m new to Paleo and have struggled with some ingredients. If I come across a recipe I want to try but it has an ingredient I don’t have or am not familiar with I usually pass. But these look entirely too good to pass on so I am faced with buying coconut oil. I’ve read several websites and am confused by virgin, extra virgin, expeller pressed, etc. Can you recommend one? Do you use different ones for different purposes, i.e. baking, frying, etc.?
Hi Jeani, thanks for stopping by!
This is an excellent question. It can be overwhelming looking at new ingredients and price tags, but making the change is worth it in taste and for your health. Coconut oil does come in different forms, the two I have in my cupboard right now are the ones I use the most. The one I use most day to day is expeller pressed which I use for all baking, cooking and sauteeing. The gentle processing helps the oil maintain it’s chemical structure at higher heats. It also has a neutral flavor that doesn’t overpower your veggies or baked goods. I use my expeller pressed in place of vegetable oils like canola or corn oil but I still use olive oil for dressings, raw food recipes and some sauteeing.
The second coconut oil in my kitchen is organic extra virgin (EV) which I use as a supplement or in raw food recipes like granola bars or dark chocolate truffles. The EV coconut oil does have a definite “coconut” flavor that some don’t like. While all coconut oil has wonderful antioxidants the EV is packed with the most nutrients and benefits. I’d highly recommend either one, if you do any baking or sauteeing in your kitchen you’ll be happy with either of these. Wilderness Family Naturals also has some reasonably priced books on the benefits of coconut oil that are too numerous to list here. They also have a cool Buying Club Program and if you place a minimum order you can qualify for a significant discount. I do this with some friends in my community so we can all save a couple bucks and make it more convenient to purchase.
Hope that helps!
~Sue
Fantastic, simple and tasty! We made them with cranberry and coconut flakes in mini muffin find and they were perfect in every way!
Oh, cranberries and coconut flakes sound good. I like using the mini-muffin tins too, they cook quicker and make nice snack size portions.
What a great recipe. Nice and simple and easy. Will definitely try it. I love pecans so will sprinkle on top.
Glad you like the recipe, Sia. Pecans are one of my favorite additions!
Been in a breakfast rut lately and woke up craving blueberry muffins. Just made these and omitted the water and added a cup of frozen blueberrys. They are to die for! Kids are scarfing them down! I also slathered them in grass-fed butter while they were still warm. Heaven on earth!
That sounds fabulous! Warm blueberry muffins with grass fed butter, yum. Thanks for sharing :).
I just finished eating one of these. I added mission figs and walnuts. It is yummy! I am new to eating Paleo and this will be one of my favorite recipes. I look forward for trying different add-ins!!
Hi Charlotte, Thanks for leaving the tip. That sounds like a fantastic combination that I’ll definitely by trying!
Cheers,
Susan
These are delicious!!
Thanks for the comment Khristyna!