Category Archives: muffins

Monday, October 5, 2015

Grain-Free Apple Cinnamon Mini Muffins

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I wanted to make a fall-inspired snack for my kiddos this week…and they LOVE apple cinnamon anything, so some yummy apple cinnamon mini muffins fit the bill. I find that mini muffins are perfect for snack time – they are easy to pack and easy to eat.  I prefer to make muffins with almond flour, as one cup of almond flour has 20 grams of protein! I love that my kiddos are getting a good protein surge for their morning snack (not to mention all those good fats) to hold them over until lunch. I’m excited about more apple recipes in the coming weeks, especially this one from Ricki Heller. I hope everyone is having a great fall so far.  I’ve got my Halloween costume all set and ready to party.  Woot-woot.   Continue reading

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Labels: fall treats, grain free, holidays, muffins, Paleo, snacks, thanksgiving desserts.

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Monday, July 20, 2015

Almond Flour Blueberry Mini Muffins

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Last year I finally bought myself a mini muffin pan…and I love it! I try to keep snack time creative and healthy for the kiddos and mini muffins were a perfect new addition.  I love using almond flour for the muffins, as they are packed with protein.  Any flavor combo is possible and I adore that they are easy to make, easy to pack, and easy to eat.  Today I am sharing blueberry, as blueberries are in season and such a delightful little berry.  I also use cherry, strawberry, or raspberry or any combo of each.  The kids also love banana chocolate chip, which I will share soon.  Have you ever made mini muffins?  I am addicted! Continue reading

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Labels: grain free, kids, muffins, Paleo, snacks, summer cuisine, summer treats.

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

I love You Cinnamon Apple Muffins

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I call these “I Love You Cinnamon Apple Muffins” because I make them especially for my children (Daddy gets a few too of course).  My kids LOVE these muffins—and they love to make them with me (it’s just a big ole’ love-fest).  I’ve included a few pictures of my son, Ethan, helping me one morning before preschool.  These muffins are moist, yet fluffy and have such a nice cinnamon apple flavor.  They make excellent snacks or can be part of a healthy breakfast.  I hope your family enjoys these muffins as much as we do.  Join me over at Gluten Free Easily for my gluten free Cinnamon Apple Muffin Recipe (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free, nut free). I shared these muffins last month on March Muffin Madness over at my friend Shirley’s Blog, Gluten Free Easily.  You can check out the guest post here.  

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Posted by Amber at

Labels: breakfast, dessert, muffins, nut free, Uncategorized.

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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Pumpkin, Banana, Cranberry Muffins (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free, nut free)

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying all this baking.  My house always smells awesome.  No longer relying on store bought baked goods, we always have a muffin recipe on the ready for breakfast, snack, dessertanytime.  I’ve been learning a lot about gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free baking along the way.  I’ve limited myself to just a few gluten free flours to make things easy (brown rice, millet, and sorghum) and using only tapioca for the starch.  I have learned that psylum husk is a good sub for xanthan gum, and that coconut milk and applesauce keep egg-based baked good nice and moist.  There are so many gluten free flours to explore.  This is the fun of it – if think about it, compared to gluten baking, there are so many MORE possibilities with gluten free.  I have one more muffin recipe to share (chocolate of course), then I will start my vegan baking adventure.  Lastly, I will spend some time with grain-free, egg baking, then grain-free vegan baking.  
I hope you enjoy this fall inspired muffin recipe.  
Pumpkin, Banana, Cranberry Muffins


Ingredients:

wet
-2 eggs room temperature 

-1/2 cup pumpkin puree room temperature
-3/4 cup ripe banana
-1/2 cup coconut sugar
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil 
-1/4 cup applesauce 
-3 tablespoons full fat coconut milk 
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-10 drops stevia

dry
-100 grams sorghum flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) 
-100 grams brown rice flour (3/4 cup) 
-60 grams tapioca flour (1/2 cup)
-1 tablespoon cinnamon
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1/2 teaspoon psyllium husk
-1/2 cup dried cranberries

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
1. In a medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (except the cranberries).  
2. Next, in a large bowl, add in the eggs, banana, pumpkin, coconut sugar, coconut oil, coconut milk, applesauce, vanilla, and stevia.  Beat on medium with a hand mixer for 30 seconds.  
3.  Add in the dry ingredients.  Mix gently to incorporate then beat on medium with hand mixer for 15 seconds.  Hand mix in the cranberries.
4.  Fill batter to near the top of the muffin cups, add little pumpkin seeds for garnish.    
5.  Bake for 16 minutes.  
6.  Remove muffins from tin and cool on rack.  
Makes 12 muffins

Notes:
*For wet ingredients use a 1 cup glass Pyrex for measuring. 
*For dry, use metal measuring cups.  And when measuring flours, spoon the flours into the measuring cup, then level off with a knife.  Never pack in the flour. 
*The muffins will stay moist for 3 or 4 full days at room temp in a container.  
*I use these large baking muffin cups.

 Ethan just LOVES to help mommy bake!! 
*
And lastly on my list here to share before I move on to vegan baking are these chocolate cupcakes
Here is a recap of my gluten free/dairy free/cane-sugar free recipes: 

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Shared on: Whole Food Fridays, Lunchbox Love, My Meatless Mondays, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays 
Posted by Amber at

Labels: breakfast, fall cuisine, muffins, nut free, snacks.

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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Zucchini Chai Spiced Muffins (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

Looking for ways to use up that summer garden zucchini?  Try using them in baked goods.  These muffins are my latest baking conquest.  With multiple attempts to get the texture and chai spice just right, they are ready to share.  If you follow my blog, you know that I’m on a gluten free baking adventure and teaching myself how to bake and create no fuss, tasty recipes that are easy to replicate.  So far, so good.  My friend Jen has been making my chocolate chip banana muffins for months now and her family gobbles them up.  Another friend enjoys my coconut blueberry muffins for her newly gluten and dairy free family.  These chai spiced muffins have been taste tested by traditional eaters (about 6 different children on traditional diets) with thumbs up all around.  So as always, a great stamp of approval.  
Zucchini Chai Spiced Muffins
(gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

Ingredients:
Wet
-2 eggs room temperature (weighing 4.5 ounces in the shells)
-1/2 cup coconut sugar
-1/2 cup non dairy milk
-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 
-1 cup peeled and grated zuchhini
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla or plain stevia
Dry
-100 grams sorghum flour (3/4 cup + 2 level tablespoons)
-100 grams brown rice flour (3/4 cup)
-60 grams tapioca starch/flour (1/2 cup)
-1 teaspoon baking powder 
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 
-1/2 teaspoon salt 
Chai spices
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

-1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 

-1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 


How To:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
1. In a medium bowl, mix together all your dry ingredients including the chai spices.  
2. Next, in a large bowl, add in the eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil, milk, applesauce, vanilla, and stevia (please make sure everything is room temperature).  Beat on medium with a hand mixer for 30 seconds.  
3.  Add in the dry ingredients.  Mix gently to incorporate then beat on medium with hand mixer for 15 seconds.  
4.  Add in the zucchini and gently mix by hand until incorporated. 
5.  Fill batter to near the top of the muffin cups, sprinkle with coconut sugar, and add a little square of zucchini.  
6.  Bake for 18 minutes.  
7.  Remove muffins from tin and cool on rack.  
Makes 12 – 15 muffins

Notes:
*Try homemade non-dairy milks for great results: Almond, Walnut, HazelnutMacadamia, Hemp.  
*For baking, I suggest following the weight of the ingredients exactly. This might mean investing in a small kitchen scale.  I cannot guarantee results if the recipe is not followed as specified and measurements are not accuratejust sayin’.
*For wet ingredients use only a 1 cup glass Pyrex for measuring. *For dry, use metal measuring cups.  And when measuring flours, spoon the flours into the measuring cup, then level off with a knife.  Never pack in the flour. 
*The muffins will stay moist for 3 or 4 full days at room temp in a container.  
*Oh, and I use these large baking muffin cups.


Here are my other baking recipes
(all gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

Strawberry Coconut Cake 

And stayed tuned for these chocolate cupcakes comin’ atcha soon

Shared on: Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, My Meatless Monday, 

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Labels: allergy-friendly, breakfast, muffins, snacks.

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Monday, April 9, 2012

Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes

(gluten free, common tree nut free, dairy free, egg free, cane-sugar free, & soy free)

I don’t claim to be much of a baker.  Never really have been.  But mommyhood has thrown me head first into the baking arena.  I make muffins every week (often it feels like daily).  I’ve always enjoyed cooking but honestly never found the thrill in baking.  Cookies are more my thing in the sweet department anyway.  So the other day I wanted to make some cupcakes/muffins for my son’s little friend.  We had a play date scheduled and my usual grain-free treat was not the best option, as his little friend can’t have tree nuts.  So a nut free creation was in order, and one that was still allergy-friendly for Ethan (no eggs, dairy, gluten, cane-sugar or soy).  No problem?  Yeah right.  GF baking is difficult and especially if you’re looking for a particular taste and flavor, which I was.  So in these urgent cases I turn to my baking guru, Tessa.  I emailed her a while back with my ingredients and she, of course, offered some great advice.  So thank you Tessa for your consultation!  One tip was to leave the fruit whole (which was an excellent suggestion, as I was pureeing it up).  
Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes 

Ingredients 
Dry
-1/2 cup white rice flour (90 grams)
-1/2 cup coconut flour (52 grams)
-1/4 cup tapioca starch (27 grams)
-2 tablespoons potato starch (19 grams)
-1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (40 grams)
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet
-1/4 cup oil (I use grapeseed)
-1/3 cup applesauce
-1 1/4 cup filtered water  
-1 tablespoon ground chia seed+ 3 tablespoons water 
-1/3 cup coconut sugar 
-1 teaspoon vanilla 
-6 drops liquid stevia 
-1 can drained pineapple chunks, squeeze all the juice out of the chunks and chop into smaller pieces. 
How To 
Preheat oven to 325
1.  In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Spoon in the flours (otherwise it’s just too dense, so don’t scoop the flour out with your measuring cup.  Or simply follow the flour weights).
2.  In a separate bowl, mix the ground chia with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit for a moment.  Then add in the coconut sugar and mix until incorporated.  It should be sticky and a bit frothy.
3.  Add in the oil, applesauce, vanilla, stevia, and pineapple chunks, incorporate, then add in the water, incorporate.  
4.  Add the dry ingredients to wet and incorporate.
5.  Immediately add batterer to baking cups – yields 12. 
6.  Bake for 20 minutes 
7.  When done, cool on rack

Notes:
*I highly recommend using these baking cups – they are great for nonstick! I And I use them over and over.  They are also biodegradable. 
*These cupcakes don’t rise much, so you can fill to the top of baking cup.
*I greatly dislike a dry cupcake.  And so I’m happy to report that these are incredibly moist.   
*Do not let the batter sit after mixing, as it starts to thicken and froth.  So after you mix the dry with the wet, immediately fill your baking cups and bake. 
*The little boy mentioned above can have coconut (no tree nuts).  I read that in 2007, the FDA classified coconut as a tree nut.  But I do believe coconuts are actually seeds, but can also be described as a fruit and nut.  This is a good read on the matter.  

Whipped Topping

Ingredients 
-1 can full fat coconut milk (I use this brand for its superior coconut cream)
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup 
-4 drops stevia (or to taste)  
-Natural yellow food coloring 
-1/4 teaspoon thickener of choice (optional) 

To make the whipped topping place 1 can of full fat coconut milk in the coldest part of your fridge for at least 3 days (the longer the better).  I have a bunch in there so I just take one out as needed.  Work quickly and remove just the coconut cream from the top of the can.  Add to bowl with above ingredients.  Mix with hand mixer until incorporated.  Frost your cupcake, or place topping in the fridge until you’re ready to use. You could certainly omit the thickener if your coconut cream is working for you.  Every can of coconut milk is different.  I’ve made some very substantial toppings without thickener, and some really needed it.  


And of course, Scott’s dipped in a little chocolate
Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Kids in the Kitchen, Real Food Wednesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter,  Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Lunch Box Love Fridays,  Allergy-Friendly Fridays, Pot Luck Party Fridays, Friday Food, Superfood Sunday 
Posted by Amber at

Labels: allergy-friendly, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, muffins, vegan.

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