Apple Cinnamon Muffins

December 6, 2013 Kate

I'm going to keep this short and sweet..these are flourless and delicious! I used almond butter to create this recipe and it works well will apples and cinnamon! Nut butters work great to hold baked goods together and give them structure. You can use this recipe as a template and change out the nut butter, fruit and spice. I think chocolate chips with almond butter would be mmmmmm....but what isn't yummy when you combine nuts and chocolate!!

I drizzled a caramel sauce over the top, but that is optional. I am still trying to create a caramel recipe that is low in sugar, but Swerve doesn't work well in this application. I used my experiment on these muffins, but suggest using a recipe that we know works. I suggest Elana's Pantry Dairy Free Caramel Sauce or this one from Smitten Kitchen that includes butter, but I would use full fat coconut milk in place of heavy cream and coconut sugar. I think butter is what gives caramel sauce that caramel taste...in my honest opinion.

Recipe: Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup almond butter
1/4 cup granulated sweetener (Swerve for no sugar option)
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
2 pastured eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp or more cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 heaping cup apples, peeled and diced (1 apple)
Caramel sauce*

Instructions

Peel and dice the apples. Toss with a couple sprinkles of cinnamon, set aside in a large mixing bowl
Place all of the remaining ingredients in a food processor and combine
Pour the batter over the apples and combine well.
Spoon the batter into a lined muffin tin. You should get 6 large muffins or 8 regular sized muffins
Bake at 350 for 25-27 minutes
Remove from the oven and let them sit for a few minutes. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Variations

*See above for caramel sauce recipe links.

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Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Cranberry Pecan Muffins

November 19, 2012 Kate

Looking for something sweet to make for your Thanksgiving breakfast? These muffins are the perfect combination of tart with a bit of sweetness. I saw this muffin recipe from Cook's Illustrated...made with tons of gluten of course...and I was up for the challenge to make it grain free. It worked and needless to say, two batches were gone in a matter of days around here! The crumbly topping turns crisp once they are cooked and adds so much flavor along with the ground up pecans that make up some of the batter!

Grian Free Cranberry Pecan Muffins

Ingredients

Topping:

1/4 cup pecans
1 tbsp almond flour
1 1/2 – 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sweetener (I used 2 tbsp Swerve plus 1/2 tbsp coconut palm sugar to help it get crisp and add a brown sugar taste to it)
1 tbsp cold grass-fed butter*

Muffins:

1 1/3 cups almond flour
3/4 cup raw pecans, roasted
2 eggs
1/3 – 1/2 cup granulated sweetener (I used 1/2 cup Swerve to reduce sugar amount)
3 tbsp grass-fed butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 tbsp additional sweetener (I used Swerve)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 so it’s ready to go. When combining an acid (lemon juice) with baking soda as a leavening agent, you need to get the item in the oven as soon as you mix those two ingredients together.
In a dry skillet, roast the pecans. Remove from heat and place single layer in freezer for later. This is important or pecans will turn to butter if you try to food process them when they are warm
In a Food Processor, combine all of the topping ingredients and pulse a few times until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Pour into bowl and set aside
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sweetener, salt and soda, set aside
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the butter or oil and lemon juice, set aside
Place the pecans in the Food Processor and pulse until it looks like coarse sand. It may look a bit wet, that’s ok, just don’t let it turn to pecan butter
Add the pecans to the flour mixture and set aside
Place the cranberries and additional sweetener in the Food Processor
and pulse until the cranberries are in small pieces
Make sure your muffin pan is lined and ready to go as you start to combine the wet with the dry ingredients
Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and combine. Fold in the cranberries
Spoon batter into muffin tins, you should get 9-10 muffins
Place a spoonful of the topping onto each muffin, spread it out and press down a bit
Bake for 25-28 minutes until a hint of brown on top

Quick notes

*Coconut oil would work, but butter is what gives it the brownie and crispiness as well.

These are so good they could be served for dessert!!!

If you want to try Swerve or need to order more, use coupon code KATE10 for a 10% discount. Swerve is my favorite sugar replacement. It is the only sugar alcohol that will not cause tummy troubles and it does not raise blood glucose levels.

Strawberry Lemon Muffins

March 29, 2012 Kate

Easter is just about here, so it's time to share some brunch recipes with you. This Strawberry Lemon Muffin recipe is quick and easy (except for the zesting of a lemon) and the muffins can be enjoyed hot out of the oven or a day or two later. Warm and buttered or simply plain, you can't go wrong serving these at your Easter Brunch!

So often when you see lemon in the title of a muffin recipe, you think poppyseeds or blueberries are involved as well. I decided to do something different and pair strawberries with the lemon. I actually made these two different ways, one with lemon and one without. The consensus was they were both great but the lemon had maybe a bit more flavor. Feel free to leave out the lemon. The cooking time may be a few minutes less since some moisture (lemon juice) is taken out.

Recipe: Strawberry Lemon Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups almond flour (Honeyville)
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey*
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (refined)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 heaping tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup fresh organic strawberries, sliced

Instructions
Combine the almond flour, salt and soda in a large mixing bowl
In a different bowl, beat the eggs, honey and oil. Stir in the lemon juice, zest and vanilla
Add the dry mixture to the wet, stir until combined
Carefully fold in the strawberries
Pour batter into lined muffin tin, fill to the top
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until tops are golden brown
Makes 6 large muffins
Quick Notes *I used Nature's Hollow Xylitol Honey for a lower sugar option and they tasted great!!!

Store in a tightly covered container, I like to use glass containers. They should last for at least 5 days at room temperature.