I like to make this healthy grain-free muffin recipe after my children go to sleep at night so they have something nourishing to eat for breakfastespecially helpful on really busy mornings! The other day my daughter wanted to know how much protein each muffin had so she worked out how many grams of protein each ingredient contained and then divided the total number by 12. She came up with 6.3 grams per muffin, not bad.

I generally use roasted almond butter in my baking recipes, including the recipes in my new Nourishing Meals cookbook. The brand I like to use for these recipes is Zinke Orchards. Although this almond butter is not certified organic it does come from spray-free almonds. For eating or raw recipes we like to use raw organic or raw sprouted almond butter.
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Banana Almond Butter Muffins (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free)



After my last post I received many requests to share a pumpkin hazelnut muffin recipe that was also egg-free. As many of you know, replacing eggs in grain-free baked treats can be quite a challenge. I've only had a few successes with it myself. So rather than spend hours in the kitchen trying to create an egg-free, grain-free recipe, I made it simple and worked with teff flour to create a moist, wholesome vegan treat that most everyone can enjoy.

If you have our new cookbook, Nourishing Meals, you'll notice how many recipes contain teff flour. This ancient grain is native to Africa but is now grown in the Snake River Valley of Idaho. I buy it in 25-pound bags from Azure Standard. It is definitely a staple in our house. Teff is rich in minerals, low in phytic acid, and of course gluten-free. It seems to be one of the easiest gluten-free flours to digest. I make my sourdough starter primarily from teff flour so we can enjoy Injera a few times a week. If you are looking for more vegan, gluten-free baking recipes that are nutrient dense (that don't rely on a ton of starches, sugar, or xanthan gum) then please check out our new book. All of the recipes are refined sugar-free, use whole grain gluten-free flours, nut flours, and coconut flour......and none contain potato or cornstarch!
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Pumpkin Hazelnut Teff Muffins (vegan, gluten-free)



I know it is a wee bit early to be posting pumpkin recipes. In fact, the winter squash and sugar pie pumpkins are not quite ready for harvesting yet in our garden; but these cool crisp mornings are beginning to remind me of spicy pumpkin treats! Yesterday morning I baked up a batch of these healthy gluten-free muffins to have for the children as an after-school snack. After school we went to the river and played until dinnertime. These muffins kept them satisfied until we finally sat down for a late dinner. Beautiful, sunny September weather calls us to spend a lot of time outside here in the Northwest.

I used organic canned pumpkin in this recipe. If you use puree made from a freshly baked pumpkin or other winter squash you may need to place it into a fine mesh strainer to let the extra moisture drip out. I have found that canned pumpkin has much less moisture than Homemade Pumpkin Puree.
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Hazelnut Pumpkin Spice Muffins (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free)



The marriage of chocolate and bananas is truly divine. This bread is light, yet rich with chunks of sweet banana melting in your mouth with every bite. Have a slice with your breakfast smoothie or as a mid-afternoon snack, but our favorite is always fresh out of the oven! Or, try pairing a slice of this bread with a mug of Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa on a cold snowy day.

I use teff flour in this bread. If you have not figured it out already, you'll know I'm a big fan of teff! You can view all of my teff recipes on this blog if you'd like. I buy large paper bags of the flour for around $40 from Azure Standard. Before my friends and I started a buying club through Azure, I bought it directly from The Teff Company (Azure sells the same brand).
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Chocolate Banana Bread (gluten-free, dairy-free, xanthan-free)



Happy Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere. As we were heading out to the beach today with the kids, my 6 year old said to me, "mama, that's weird, I thought today was supposed to be the darkest day of the year, but it's the sunniest!" Yes indeed, today was a beautiful day to spend at the beach playing on the warm, sunny rocks and exploring the trails. Also a good day to come home and bake gingerbread muffins to warm us up along with mugs full of hot spice tea!

These muffins use pureed prunes and chia seeds to bind them together and hold moisture. They are made almost entirely of teff flour. I buy 25 pound paper bags of it from Azure Standard for around $40 with free shipping. That comes out to about $1.60 a pound, which is far less than what you pay for those little packages in the health food store, plus the packaging is biodegradable. I buy organic, unsulphured prunes in bulk from my local food co-op.
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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Muffins (vegan, nut-free, xanthan-free)



We've been experiencing a rather cold, rainy spring here in the pacific northwest so the other night I made a big pot of vegetarian chili. It would not have been complete without a batch of warm corn muffins. Our family enjoyed these so much that I decided to share them with you. I needed to make another batch yesterday just so I could get some photos.

Ground golden flax seeds

The muffins are of course gluten-free, as well as egg-free, dairy-free, and xanthan-free....and still full of so much flavor! I also use flax meal to help bind them together instead of any gums, such as xanthan gum. I grind golden flax seeds in the dry container of my Vita-Mix but a coffee grinder works equally as well. Store any remaining ground seeds in a glass jar for up to a week in your refrigerator. I like to use golden flax seeds when making a lighter colored muffin or bread recipes but you could also use the darker variety if that is what you have on hand.



Vegan Corn Muffins

Serve these perfectly tender and mildly sweet corn muffins with your favorite chili recipe or another bean and vegetable soup. I like to use Arrowhead Mills brand of cornmeal in this recipe because it is both gluten-free and organic.

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup hot water
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flax seeds and hot water. Let them rest for about 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Then add the coconut sugar, oil, and applesauce and whisk again until incorporated. Add the milk and whisk again.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk batter together for a minute or two. The batter should be a little stringy and on the thicker side.



Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan. You will fill each muffin cup to the top. I use a stone muffin pan from Pampered Chef. I don't like using any sort of non-stick cookware or bakeware. Everything I bake cooks evenly and comes out without sticking in the stone pans. These are worth the small investment! Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Run a knife around each muffin to gently release. Cool on a wire rack. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

I look forward to your feedback if you get a chance to make these! :)


Serve These Muffins With:


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Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Corn Muffins