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 Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Some tastes are a very nostalgic thing for me, and Rhubarb pie is at the top of the list. I know I have waxed poetic about my Grandma's Rhubarb pie before (this Rhubarb custard post was one such occasion) but it really was that awesome. When I perfected my grain free pastry recipe, and my rhubarb was at that perfect spring readiness, I figured it was time to honour my grandma and her pie, pastry and all.

My favourite pie plate is quite large, if yours is smaller, use the extra crust and filling to make some lovely little tarts!


Grain Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 prepared Grain Free Pie Crust,(baked for 8 minutes as per directions in recipe)

3 cups chopped rhubarb (I used fresh but frozen would work too!)

2 cups sliced strawberries (hulls removed) (or sub 2 additional cups chopped rhubarb and omit strawberries)

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup coconut sugar

4 Tbsp arrowroot starch

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix fruit together in a large bowl and set aside.

Measure the remaining ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with an immersion blender. Pour over the prepared fruit and mix gently to coat.

Pour into prepared pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until the pie is set in the middle. Check 1/2 way thru and place a foil shield around the edge if it is already starting to brown. 

Carefully remove from oven and let cool thoroughly before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Grain Free Pie Pastry

Grain free pastry is not something I have played around with much. The few attempts I made were mediocre at best, and it was quickly relegated to the back burner to make way for things that were more...successful!! But, with my wonderful crop of rhubarb this spring, pastry was suddenly back on the top of my list to perfect! I think this version was worth waiting for! It is not a rolled crust, grain free flour's are not that easy to work with, but it works well when you pat it into place.
My favourite pie plate is an older Pampered Chef Clay one, and is quite large, measuring 10" across the top diameter. If your pie plate is smaller, reserve  part of your pastry or your crust will be very thick. The excess would make some wonderful little tarts, or possibly even a crumble for the right kind of pie! (I would mix in a bit more coconut sugar and some chopped pecans...lovely idea!!)

Grain Free Pie Pastry

½ cup + 2 Tbsp coconut flour

¼ cup chickpea flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour

2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar (leave out if using for a savory crust)

Pinch of Salt

1 tsp Apple cider Vinegar

2 eggs

½ cup softened (not melted) coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a fork until just blended. With a rubber or silicone spatula continue mixing to ensure there are no lumps remaining.

When it is thoroughly mixed and comes together nicely in a ball, let it stand for 5-10 minutes for the coconut flour to soak up the liquids.

In a large pie plate, place the ball of dough, and methodically flatten it around the diameter of the plate. Make it evenly cover the bottom of the plate and then work up the sides, rotating the plate as you go, concentrating on keeping the pastry even as you press it up to the top edge. 

When you have a nice even crust in your pie plate, finish off the top edge as desired. (I like to use the traditional knuckle technique; it works well if you leave the top edge somewhat “thick” and slightly raised above the dish)

 Baking:

If your pie is to be baked again, for something like a rhubarb pie, bake for 8 minutes in preheated oven.

If your pie will have a precooked filling, like a chocolate cream, bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven. 

 Fill as desired, and bake again if necessary or chill, depending upon recipe!

Pictured Here in Rhubarb :)

Pictured here in chocolate :)

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 Sour Cream Cherry Crumble Bars

 I love it when a Saturday rolls around, and I have no plans. Although, in my house, a “no plans” day still includes getting the laundry done, and housework, and dishes….I am sure you understand! I was also hoping for it to warm up enough outside for me to get a start on spring cleaning some of the gardens, but other than that, my day was free. So, to waste some time while waiting for the sun to do its thing and make it tolerable for some outdoor work without needing a parka, I tried a new recipe out.

These bars are quite tasty, and not overly sweet. I can see this being a jump off recipe for all sorts of variations. (The base and crumble would make a lovely date square…going to have to play with that!) Anyhooo, I picked cherries as the fruit, because I had some in my freezer, but I think any soft fruit would work. I am sure sautéed apples or pears would be awesome as well…oh the possibilities!!!

The only thing I thought of changing at all was the fruit to bar ratio, maybe upping the fruit a wee bit. But my friend Jenelle stopped in and taste-tested them and said they were perfect as is. So I will leave that one up to you!

If you use frozen fruit like I did, let it thaw and drain away the excess liquid before adding, or it will make your sour cream layer too wet. Definitely let them cool completely before cutting them up to allow the layers to firm up. 

Grain Free Sour Cream Cherry Crumble Bars

Base: 

6-8 dates, pits removed

¼ cup coconut oil, softened a bit

1 egg

1 cup pecans

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup arrowroot powder

½ tsp sea salt

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Crumble:

1/3 cup reserved base mixture

¼ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened

¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans

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Sour Cream layer:

2/3 cup sour cream

1 egg

¼ cup maple syrup

3 Tbsp arrowroot powder

1 Tbsp coconut flour

Pinch of salt

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Fruit: 

1 cup thawed and drained frozen dark sweet cherries (or other soft fruit of choice)

Preheat oven to 350F

Line an 8x8 glass baking dish with parchment paper, and set aside.

In a food processor, chop the pitted dates until they just start to form a ball. Measure the rest of the base ingredients into the food processor bowl and process until well combined. Pulse a few more times until it starts to form a ball.

Scoop out 1/3 cup of this mixture and set aside. Press the rest evenly into a parchment lined 8X8 glass baking pan. Set aside.

To the 1/3 cup of reserved base mixture, add the shredded coconut and the coarsely chopped pecans. Mix together until well combined (use your fingers!) and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream filling ingredients until nice and smooth and pancake batter like. Pour over the base and spread evenly to cover.

With a spoon, evenly distribute the cherries, being careful to leave the excess juice behind.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cherry/sour cream layers and bake in preheated oven for 35-38 minutes, or until the filling is completely set.

Let cool completely before cutting into desired size square. Store any leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days (if they last that long!) 

(the weather cooperated, I was able to clean out most
of my front gardens...my crocus's are beautiful!)

Grain Free Chocolate Walnut Donuts

These little lovelies are a perfect treat when you want comfort food without the guilt (well, not too much guilt…)  They remind me of one of my favourite donuts from my old wheat eating days, without the gut issues and sugar crash!   I find them best the first day; they were a bit dry on the second day. Like most grain free baked goods, they do freeze well, so I would recommend freezing for storage, if they hang around long enough!

Grain Free Chocolate Walnut Donuts

4 eggs

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

½ cup sour cream

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup coconut flour

¼ cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup arrowroot starch

¼ cup chick pea flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

___________

Add-in:

¾ cup chopped walnuts (no big pieces! )

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Topping:

¼ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life)

2 tsp coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375F.

Grease donut pan with a rubber basting brush or piece of paper towel and butter, ensuring you cover the entire inside surface. Set aside.

Mix all ingredients up to the add-ins together in an 8 cup mixing bowl with an immersion blender. Scrape sides of bowl when needed and mix until well blended. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the first amount of chopped walnuts and stir until well mixed. 

Scrape batter into a medium sized zip-top baggie, squeeze out the excess air and zip closed. Snip the end (alternatively, if you have an icing bag and a large tip, use that)

 and pipe into greased donut pans, filling each cavity about half way. 

Repeat with second pan or bake for approx 12 minutes, remove from oven, tip donuts from pan onto a wire rack. Let the pan cool before refilling to bake second batch. (This amount should make 24 small donuts; adjust your cooking time if your pans are larger.) 

While your donuts are baking, in a double boiler or a heat safe bowl set over a pot of just simmering hot water, (don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl!) gently melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together. Stir until smooth, and leave over barely simmering water until needed. 

When donuts are all cooked and cooled, drizzle with the melted chocolate, and then sprinkle with the ¼ cup of chopped walnuts. Let stand until chocolate drizzle firms up. (Refrigerate for 15 min if you want to serve them quickly!) 

Best eaten the same day, they tend to be a bit dry on the second day. Keep leftovers in fridge for 3-4 days or freeze. 

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.