Grain Free Chunky Monkey Muffins

Oh, what a bad blogger I have been! Having not posted a brand new recipe since Christmas, I knew it was high time I got on with it! 

So, on a blustery April Sunday afternoon, baking was on the agenda, and these lovely muffins were just  begging to be blogged. Two overly ripe bananas were the starting point, and the rest just fell into place. I had intended to blend the peanut butter in with the immersion blender, but decided at the last minute that the crunchy peanut chunks in the peanut butter would lend a lovely texture to the muffin, and I was right! Smooth peanut butter would work as well, and if that’s all you have, don’t dismay. The flavour will still be lovely!

You will notice there is no added sugar in the batter. With two bananas, and the chocolate chunks, I think they are perfectly sweet enough. They are grain free, gluten free and dairy free too, for those who avoid dairy! Lovely for breakfast, or with an afternoon cup of tea, I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Grain Free Chunky Monkey Muffins

Batter:

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup arrowroot flour/starch

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 ripe bananas

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 eggs

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Add ins:

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter (natural, no sugar added!), at room temperature!!

¾ cup chocolate chunks (or chips...Enjoy Life are my favourite!)

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Topping:

Sliced fresh bananas for the tops

Preheat oven to 375F.

Line a 12 section muffin tin with parchment liners and set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl mix all the batter ingredients together 

with an immersion blender until well combined.

Fold in the peanut butter and the chocolate chunks with a silicone spatula 

or wooden spoon until completely mixed.

Scoop evenly into lined muffin tins, and top with sliced bananas.

Bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 4 minutes, and then remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

Store leftovers at room temp for 1 day, or in the fridge for 2-3 days. Freeze for longer storage. 

Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins

When I whipped up my Grain Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins a few weekends ago, I was left with one cup of pumpkin puree...such a dilemma! I had already accomplished a lot of baking, and was tempted to just put it in the freezer for another day. But, being in the baking mode I decided to forge ahead and make one more batch of muffins. I used the same batter ingredients from that pumpkin muffin because it had spectacular flavour(why reinvent the wheel, right??) and simply added some soaked raisins and pumpkin seeds to it. This created an entirely different muffin! (which is also dairy and nut free to boot) I was going to list it as a variation with the Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins but the end results were so completely unlike each other, I felt they each needed a post of their own to let their little spirits shine :)

These ones have a more earthy and hearty feel to them, and scream fall harvest with every morsel. They are not quite as photogenic as the cream cheese ones,  but what they lack in beauty, they make up for in taste.

A note on the soaked raisins...feel free to skip this step if you like. I am not a fan of chewy raisins, and this re-hydrates and infuses them with a lovely vanilla flavour that is more to my liking. Totally skipable, but for me a necessary step!

Go ahead, try both recipes...neither will disappoint! Submerse yourself in the flavours of autumn, and enjoy each and every bite!

Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Muffin Batter:

½ cup coconut flour

1/3 cup arrowroot flour/starch

2 tbsp chickpea flour

½ cup coconut sugar

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

1/8 tsp allspice

½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

¾ tsp freshly grated ginger (use a kitchen rasp) or ½ tsp dried ginger

3 eggs

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumkin pie filling!)

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Add-Ins: 
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raisins (optional soaking method: place in heat proof glass bowl, cover with boiling water and a splash of vanilla. let stand for 10 minutes, drain and use as you would other raisins.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line 12 cup muffin tins with papers or grease well and set aside.

Measure all muffin ingredients EXCEPT for the add ins, into a large mixing bowl and blend well with an immersion blender. Measure in the raisins (drained well if you are soaking)and the pumpkin seeds. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Divide batter evenly between the 12 sections of the muffin tray. 

Bake in preheated oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Remove from tray and let cool on a wire rack. Store leftovers in fridge or freezer. 

Grain Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins

It seems everything is coming up pumpkin right now. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin spice cheesecakes, pumpkin spice smoothies, pumpkin spice cookies and muffins…I could go on….and on…and on…!!! But, I guess it is the season, and... so as not to be left out, I came up with these beautiful muffins on the weekend. They are the perfect melding of warming spices, mixed with the smooth cream cheese and the delicious pumpkin, you will be tempted to eat more than one!

Don’t let the long list of ingredients deter you from giving these muffins a try!   I believe, of all the muffins I have made over the last few decades, these might now be my personal favourites!

For the pumpkin puree, you can either cook a pie pumpkin (see my easy Crockpot cooking method at the bottom of my Pumpkin Bar Recipe) and use one cup of that,(freeze the rest!) or purchase a good quality organic puree (not a pie filling!)

Grain Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 cup cream cheese, room temp

1 tbsp honey

1 egg

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Muffin Batter:

½ cup coconut flour

1/3 cup arrowroot flour/starch

2 tbsp chickpea flour

½ cup coconut sugar

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

1/8 tsp allspice

½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

¾ tsp freshly grated ginger (use a kitchen rasp) or ½ tsp dried ginger

3 eggs

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumkin pie filling!)

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

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Streusel Topping:

½ cup chopped pecans

3 Tbsp coconut sugar

2 tsp arrowroot flour/starch

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F

Line a 12 section muffin tin with muffin papers or grease well.

Combine Cream Cheese filling ingredients together in your stand mixer or electric beaters until nice and smooth. Set aside.

Measure all muffin ingredients into a large mixing bowl and blend well with an immersion blender. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, measure the streusel topping ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

Divide batter evenly between the 12 sections of the muffin tray.  Using a Tbsp, nestle a scoop of the cream cheese mixture down into the center of each muffin, and continue, using up all of the cream cheese.

Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the tops of all of the muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 23-25 minutes or until the cream cheese filing looks to be set.

Remove from oven, and let stand in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

Refrigerate any  leftover muffins for up to 3 days.

Grain Free Rhubarb Pecan-Coconut Streusel Muffins

My rhubarb is doing really well this year. While it is a reasonably easy plant to grow, you need patience for the first few years after planting your initial crowns. The plants need the first year to establish a good strong root system, and it is recommended not to pull any stalks during this initial growth time. The second year, you can harvest a small amount, but only at the beginning of the season. Herein lies the issue with my rhubarb. When I planted my first plant, in what I thought would be its forever home, I vastly underestimated the size of it in comparison to the space it would take up in the end of my herb garden. Season two saw it move to a second home, which, in hindsight was no better than the first. Two years ago, I found the perfect spot for it in my yard, and finally gave it a(nother) forever home (I say that now, lol!) Last year, the second year in its happy home, it came up sparsely, and did not have a great season overall. I was afraid, by the end of the year, that I was going to be buying a new plant and starting all over this spring. 

This tenacious plant proved me wrong though, and came up beautifully this spring, and has graced me with a beautiful crop of nice tart rhubarb. I am thinking I need to work on a grain free pie crust and attempt a strawberry rhubarb pie in the near future, just to celebrate the bountiful harvest!

When you chop your rhubarb, make sure the pieces are fairly small, so they don’t overwhelm the muffin. I cut my stalks in half lengthwise and then diced. If your stalks are very thick you may need to cut into thirds or quarters. My test kitchen at work gave these muffins 2 thumbs up, I hope you enjoy them too!

Grain Free Rhubarb Pecan-Coconut Streusel Muffins

Muffin Batter:

½ cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour

2 Tbsp Chickpea flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup honey

4 eggs

1 Tsp vanilla

½ c kefir or yogurt, (plain, not sweetened, preferably full fat!)

1/3 cup coconut oil

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2 cups diced rhubarb (make pieces fairly small)

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Streusel topping :

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F

Line muffin tin with 12 papers, or grease really well. Set aside.

Measure batter ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and mix well with an immersion blender. Scrape sides of bowl if necessary to ensure everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps.

Mix in chopped rhubarb and mix well to combine.

Fill muffin liners ¾ full and set aside.

Quickly rinse your mixing bowl (or get a clean one, but hey…who wants more dishes??) and measure in the streusel ingredients. Mix well to combine.

Sprinkle evenly over the muffin batter and place in preheated oven.

Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven to a heat safe surface.

Let stand for 5 minutes, remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.

 I love my handy chopper from Epicure for chopping nuts!

Grain Free Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancake

Dutch babies are probably my favourite pancake of all time. Anyone who has made pancakes for a crowd will appreciate the simplicity of this lovely oven pancake. Whiz the batter in your blender, pour in the hot pan and let the oven do all the work. No flipping, and you get to eat at the same time as everyone else! 

These also cook beautifully in a big cast iron pan (or multiple single serve ones if you are lucky enough to have them!) We have been known to cook them on the BBQ on those beautiful lazy weekend mornings, when the sun is shining, and the birds are chirping...when the BBQ is not buried in snow...

Grain Free Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancake

We like the darker Grade B
Maple syrup, it has a deeper
more intense flavour!

¼ cup butter

6 eggs

¾ cup whole milk (or alternative)

¼ cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour/starch

½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1 generous cup organic blueberries, fresh or frozen

Put butter in 9x13 glass baking dish. Place in oven and preheat to 425F

Place the rest of the ingredients (EXCEPT THE BLUEBERRIES!) into a blender, and blend on high until thoroughly blended. When oven is preheated and butter is melted and bubbly, (usually by the time your oven is up to temp your butter is ready!) carefully remove the glass pan from the oven (with oven mitts!) and pour the batter from the blender jar into the hot pan. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly and quickly over the batter. 

Return to oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the pancake puffs up and is golden around the edges. Remove from oven, cut into pieces and serve hot with topping of choice. 

The leftovers (if you have any!) are wonderful when re-heated in a toaster oven!

Coconut Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

After a long hiatus from putting pen to paper and writing down new recipes, I am finally back on track and getting some new creations posted for you!

This muffin recipe, and the Cranberry Coconut Breakfast Bars that I posted recently were created out of a need to use up a bunch of frozen bananas that were threatening to take over my freezer. There always seems to be that one banana that no one wants to use, and is sadly left to brown in the fruit basket on the counter. When it becomes painfully obvious that no one is going to go anywhere near it, into the freezer it goes, alongside the other strays, until I have enough to do something with. (or until they start to fall out when the freezer door is opened…whichever happens to come first!)

The latter was the case, and these beauties were born. The muffin itself is not very sweet, the coconut streusel topping adds just that perfect sweetness and texture to perfectly finish off the muffin. They are not large muffins, which suits me just fine. The bigger appetites in my house take two, but I find one perfect for a mid-day snack. They freeze very well, making the large amount of muffins perfect for filling up that empty space left by the frozen bananas J

Coconut Cinnamon Streusel Muffins (makes 24 small muffins)

Muffins:

6 eggs

¾ cup plain kefir or yogurt (full fat!)

4 bananas (very ripe…mine were frozen and thawed)

2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar

¼ cup melted coconut oil

2/3 cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour/starch

¼ cup coconut sugar

¼ cup chick pea flour

¼ cup ground chia seeds (grind in blender or buy already ground)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Streusel Topping:

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil

3 Tbsp coconut sugar

2/3 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 24 muffin tins with parchment liners or grease very well.  Set aside. 

Measure all of the muffin ingredients into an 8 cup mixing bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend together well, scraping down the sides with a spatula as necessary to make sure all ingredients are mixed.  Let stand while you mix the streusel.

To make the streusel: Mix all ingredients together well in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Scoop the prepared muffin batter evenly into the lined pans. Top evenly with the streusel topping. (there is a generous amount of topping, you won't need to scrimp!)

Bake for 18-20 minutes in preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. 

Cranberry Coconut Breakfast Bars

I apologize, dear readers, for the lack of recipes lately. Between the holidays, a promotion at work, and life in general, it seems I have been a wee bit side tracked when it comes to getting recipes posted. Lots has been going on in the kitchen, but when all was said and done, something had to give, and the blog has suffered. I intend to correct that here and now though by giving you a wonderful grain free bar that is perfect for a quick breakfast or snack. These bars are heading to work with me tomorrow for an early morning staff training (along with another soon to be posted recipe...Grain Free Coconut Cinnamon Streusel Muffins). Not too sweet, portable, and full of yummy grain free nutrients to fuel your morning...or your break, or whenever you need a satisfying bite to eat. We usually cut these into at least 16 bars, and they store well in the freezer for those crazy busy mornings. 

Cranberry Coconut  Breakfast Bars

3 eggs

3 very ripe bananas (mine were previously frozen and thawed)

1 cup full fat milk kefir or yogurt  

1/3 cup gently melted coconut oil, cooled slightly

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup coconut sugar

2/3 cup coconut flour

¼ cup Arrowroot flour/starch

¼ cup chickpea flour

¼ cup ground Chia seeds

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp of salt

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1 cup fruit-juice-sweetened dried cranberries

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (Organic Traditions is my fav!)

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9X13 glass baking dish or line with parchment paper and set aside. 

Beat the eggs, kefir, coconut oil, vinegar, vanilla and bananas together in a large mixing bowl until frothy with an immersion blender.  Add the coconut sugar, flours, baking soda, and salt. Mix well again ensuring there are no lumps left.

Mix in the dried cranberries and coconut  with a wooden spoon or spatula to evenly distribute.

Scrape the batter into prepared pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into desired shape. 

Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 6 months. 

Grain Free Banana Donuts

I have been dying for a reason to try out my newest kitchen toy! I picked up this sweet donut pan in a kitchen store on a weekend away in Niagara a few weeks back. I have been on the lookout for a new one for a while, since the ones that I had and lent out a few years back sadly never found their way back to me :(   Needless to say, I was very excited to find this one without shipping costs attached! It is slightly bigger than the ones that I had, which is kinda nice. Now I am wishing I had bought 2!!
 The 4 over ripe bananas lounging on my counter provided me with just the inspiration  I needed to try it out yesterday. (it also may have been the irritated look from my eldest when he picked up said bunch of  bananas  and they started to peel themselves...those babies needed a recipe, and quick!) 

 The results were awesome, bang on first time out of the gate (love it when that happens!) 

Grain Free Donuts, who'da thunk it!! My mind is already spinning with what new flavour combos to try!!

 

 Anyhoo, if you don't have one of these seriously cool donut pans, these darlings would bake up quite nicely in a mini muffin pan as well, with maybe just a few minutes added to the baking time. 

Grain Free Banana Donuts

4 bananas, very ripe!
3 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar(raw, unpasteurized!)
1/2 cup coconut flour
3 Tbsp arrowroot flour/starch
2 Tbsp chick pea flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F
Using a silicone spatula, (or a paper towel) and a big smear of butter, liberally grease a donut pan, making sure to coat all of the surfaces. Set aside.

Mix all ingredients together well in a large mixing bowl with an immersion blender. Scrape sides of bowl to make sure everything is incorporated evenly.

Scrape batter into a medium sized zip top freezer bag, and snip off the bottom corner to make an impromptu piping bag.

You want the hole in the corner of the bag to
be just big enough to do one nice circle of
batter in the cavity.

Pipe the batter evenly into the greased pan, you will use about half of the batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 11-12 m or until cooked thru and just starting to brown at the edges.

Remove from oven, run a knife carefully around the edges and flip donuts out onto a wire cooling rack.
Cool pan and repeat the process with the remaining batter.***This depends on the size of your pan! I found another one at Sobeys yesterday, and it is bigger. They took about 2-3 minutes longer to bake, and took more batter!

I often cool things on the deck railing right
outside my back door...shhh! Don't tell
the neighbors or my food may
start disappearing!

Cool completely and serve as is, or dip into chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze: 

1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate chips
2 Tbsp coconut oil

Suspend a heat proof bowl (stainless steel works well) over a pot of simmering water (it shouldn't touch the water!) and melt together the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Stir the mixture until it is smooth. Dip each donut (I dipped the top side, it looked nicer this way!) and set back on the wire cooling rack. Refrigerate to set the chocolate glaze. Store any leftovers in fridge to keep the glaze firm.

Grain Free Cherry Coconut Zucchini Loaf

Anyone who follows me on my Facebook recipe page will know that I am in the midst of being inundated by zucchini. It is the season that all gardeners love to hate, and I am no different. Two zucchini plants keep us in zucchini for a good chunk of the summer and into the fall. But they grow like crazy!!! One minute you have beautiful tiny little zucchinis, and the next minute you have these gargantuan beasts that resemble watermelons more than the summer squash they are. I have no idea how they actually accomplish these spectacular feats of growth overnight, but it really is kind of amazing.

They really are delicious, too, and I have been going crazy pinning zucchini recipes on my Pinterest page. From sweet to savory, (and even a soup recipe!) I cannot wait to try out some new recipes.

I made this zucchini loaf today, and it turned out quite tasty. The sour cherries add a lovely zing of flavour to this moist grain free loaf. It was a great use for one of the smaller of the 6 (!!!) zucchinis that I pulled from the garden yesterday.

 A slice of this loaf would be lovely to have with a nice cup of tea on the patio…now I just need to find the time to sit and relax!

Grain Free Cherry Coconut Zucchini Loaf

4 eggs

1 T Apple cider vinegar (I like this one!)

1 cup milk kefir (or yogurt or non-dairy substitute of choice)

1/3 cup coconut oil, softened

½ cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour

This sized zucchini grated into
 a generous 1 1/2 cups

2 Tbsp chickpea flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ cup coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla powder (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)

¾ tsp sea salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

ADD INS:

1 ½ cups grated zucchini (mine was a very generous cup and a half!!)

½ cup dried sour cherries (sub raisins or dried cranberries if you wish)

½ cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a loaf pan (mine measures 9.25x5.25x2.75) with parchment or grease well.

 Set aside.

Measure all ingredients EXCEPT the add-ins into a large mixing bowl. Blend together well with an immersion blender or a whisk and lots of elbow grease. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken up.

Grate zucchini with a regular sized grater

Place grated zucchini on a clean kitchen towel, and gather the top together

 and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

 

Add squeezed zucchini, coconut and dried cherries to the batter and mix in until well distributed.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. 

Bake in preheated oven for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove loaf from pan using parchment, and set on a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Store leftovers in refrigerator or freezer.