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Keto Chocolate Muffins {gluten-free, paleo}
These Keto Chocolate Muffins are a simple, low carb, sweet treat that are so easy to make and loaded with rich chocolatey flavor. This low carb chocolate muffin recipe comes with alternative sweetener options as well, so if you aren’t doing the super low carb thing or if you just want to make these Keto Chocolate Muffins ASAP with pantry staples you already have on hand you can get on in right away.
These Keto Chocolate Muffins are little bit different of a recipe for me. I am not big on baking or sweets and I am also not generally one for using alternative sweeteners, not that there is anything wrong with some of them, necessarily, but it’s just not my scene. Most of the time, if and when I am going to have a little something sweet, I will use a very small amount of maple syrup or honey or a little coconut sugar. We’re talking a small amount, because it’s totally fine and I will be fine and honey and a little sugar won’t kill me.
When I developed this particular Keto Chocolate Muffins recipe, however, I wanted to make a low carb muffin recipe that would be versatile for my different readers and their different needs. I know for many folks eating keto or a low carb diet, they find themselves there due to diabetes or a metabolic condition of some sort where tracking their blood sugar becomes of high importance, so they do have to be more mindful and aware then those of us just choosing this lifestyle to feel good. Having several people in my life, close to me, that are diabetic, I love creating recipes that I know they can enjoy, too and I can feel good knowing they aren’t shoving those super scary artificial sweeteners into their bodies (splenda and the like).
These Keto Chocolate Muffins can be made several different ways. To be fully low carb and low glycemic, I tested the recipe with this Monkfruit Maple Flavored Syrup, which I have found is a nice replacement for baking recipes that use maple syrup or honey. There is a very subtle maple flavor, however, so you are aware, but I find that flavor pairs so nicely with these muffins. It’s not too distinguishable in this recipe, but in other recipes it can be more prevalent.
By using the monkfruit, these Keto Chocolate Muffins (by my calculations) clock in just over 5 net carbs per muffin! Not too shabby. Read the rest of this entry »
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Mini Frittata Egg Bites {gluten-free, paleo, keto, whole30}
These Mini Frittata Egg Bites are a wonderful, easy-to-make, one-bite breakfast treat that is perfect for entertaining, great for the holidays, light, simple and super, duper customizable. Read on for lots of flavor options.
One of the perks of this strange career path I have embarked on, is the incredible experiences and opportunities to understand and investigate our food further. I consider it a great blessing that I am able to get behind the scenes and truly see where our food is coming from – as this is of high importance to me, to learn, to educate myself and to share with all of you, to hopefully empower you with the knowledge to make the best choices for your family.
To boil it down quite simply, first, personally I want my food to be nutrient-dense and second, I want it to be bullsh*t free! As a long supporter of Vital Farms I was beyond honored when they asked if I would come to Missouri to tour some of their farms, to meet the growers and most importantly to see how their Girls on Grass live, the pastures they graze on and a peek behind the scenes at how they run things.
I am beyond excited to share that everything this company boasts if truly a reality. No BS! Right down to Stuart, the farmer featured in their incredible new campaign, he’s a real farmer, with Vital Farms. I spent the afternoon on his farm. Across the board on all of Vital Farms’ farms, the beautiful hens are raised under humane conditions and they have time on pasture, daily, each bird getting a minimum of 108sqft of pasture to roam (compared to less than 1 foot that a cage-free hen gets or the 2sqft that a free-range hen receives).
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Grain-free Almond Flour Muffins
If I had it my way, as a nutritional therapist but also as a true, hardcore lover of substantial, energy-building, savory breakfasts I would LOVE to get all of clients eating a breakfast comprised of quality, well-sourced fats and proteins, with an appropriate amount of carbs coming from some tasty nutrient-dense veggies! But, I get it, I really do. I know most people would rather eat a doughnut, toast, cereal, oatmeal or anything else, sweet, simple and convenient in the mornings. So for me, it’s all about the baby steps and also meeting people halfway with better options than the standard fare.
I know that mornings are generally a busy time, if you have kids you are getting them ready for school, you are probably packing lunches, getting the kiddos on the bus all while trying to get yourself ready and get out the door to work. Even if you don’t have children, the mornings are generally a very chaotic time and if you don’t plan extra time for cooking, most folks either grab something packaged and convenient or worse yet skip breakfast all together. NOOOOOO! I know that unless you are fortunate enough to work from home, cooking up some pasture-raised eggs and sautéing some greens – that’s probably not in the cards.
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Grain-free Savory Breakfast Muffins
Whenever I ask, over on the Tasty Yummies Facebook page, what types of recipes you guys want more of, inevitably, easy, healthy breakfasts are almost always requested. I’m with you guys, when life gets hectic and we are on the go, often times breakfast is the first meal to get the boot. If there is time for a morning bite, maybe you just grab a coffee and a muffin or a breakfast bar on the way out the door, eat it in your car, while you drive and hope for the best. Sadly, this is a sad tone to kick start any day on. Not only is your digestion confused by the state in which it’s being forced to eat, but starting off your day loaded with sugar, even of the natural variety, gets the blood sugar control game out of whack before it ever had a chance. You can be sure with a sweet breakfast and a coffee, that mid-day crash is sure to follow.
For me, starting the day with a breakfast filled with protein and healthy-fats, not only means that my body is armed with a more long burning fuel source, but I also find that I stay full much longer. I also really love eating veggies at breakfast, it feels like I got one up on the rest of the world, who doesn’t even consider this move until lunch time.
These Grain-free Savory Breakfast Muffins are a wonderful option for those busy mornings. Make them ahead and keep them in the fridge, grab and eat chilled or slice in half, pop it into the toaster oven to take the chill off and bring a little crisp to the outside. Maybe add a small pat of butter and a little hot sauce, when serving.
What I really love about this recipe, like so many others you will find here on Tasty Yummies, it is super customizable. The veggies can be whatever you have on hand and specific to the season. If you wish to add bacon, sausage or another meat, that would be delicious, if you like cheese, add your favorite.
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Grain-free Blackberry Earl Grey Mini Muffins
Part of living with dietary challenges is learning to find joy in events and celebrations without your traditional go-to foods! We all have been there and we can attest that the struggle is real! It’s really real. I know many of you will call me crazy for this next admission, but at times I find so much joy in creating foods that I myself cannot currently have, just because I want to share them with others. I am not talking about gluten-containing baked goods, I reserve that for once or twice a year when the hubby makes a special request. More, I am talking about the occasional times I find that I am avoiding a food or foods for an elimination diet or whatever reason.
Most times this desire to create for others goes hand-in-hand with baking for a special occasion. So I think I would like to rename all of this to “baking therapy”. For me, there is just something so special about spending time in the kitchen, with the oven heating up and bringing that comforting warmth, whipping up a recipe and then smelling the glorious aromas from the oven as your creation bakes. I suppose it reminds me of my mother and my sister. Both love to bake and do so for nearly every special occasion. For the last 10 years of me being gluten-free, although I couldn’t eat 95% of what they made, I took great comfort in knowing that the creations that they lovingly made would be there. I also love watching the happy faces of everyone enjoying those creations, whether or not I can be part of it personally.
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Gluten Free Vegan Oatmeal Molasses Muffins
I am very excited to have Sarah of Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats joining us today as our guest blogger, with an amazing gluten-free recipe for a delicious breakfast treat.
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Good morning, Tasty Yummies readers! It’s a new day and a new year. Many of us are taking the time to make resolutions for 2014. We are thinking about how to change the way we are living. Changing the way we treat our bodies, by how much we exercise and what foods we eat. We know it’s the right thing to do to feel better, but it can be so hard to stick to the plan!
Even when we are trying to eat a healthy, balanced diet, we still need to do some baking once in awhile (I know I sure do). These gluten free vegan oatmeal molasses muffins are not too sweet and have a great texture. I’m happy to say they are low-fat and sweetened with both coconut sugar and molasses. The applesauce and banana make them super moist. I like to make a batch at the beginning of the week and I’m set. A great grab-n-go breakfast or yummy guilt-free snack! Read the rest of this entry »
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Photo Fun Day Friday
After some serious down time on the website yesterday (so sorry if you were unable to get the site to load if you came here) and not being able to log in to the back side of my and post anything for the first half of today, I am so happy to be here and happy to be sharing some photos from the last week.
We have a busy work filled weekend ahead, but then we are taking a couple days off at the start of next week that we are planning to fill with some fun adventures. What do you have planned for this weekend?
This house of ours gets incredible light. It shines in every morning so perfectly right as we are waking up.
Got up early over the weekend so I started a fire and then made some grain-free banana chocolate chip muffins over the weekend using this recipe. Instead of strawberries and basil I added in two mashed ripe bananas (added a bit more almond flour), some cinnamon and some mini dark chocolate chips.
How beautiful is this juice? My post run juice Monday morning – orange, beet, carrot, ginger and strawberry. The photo hardly even does it justice.
I adore this cat.
Got our first CSA since moving out here. Until my veggie garden is in full effect, this is the way to go. All this for just $15 and certified organic.
I am still totally amazed that this is where I live now. Feels like perpetual vacation.
A new donation-based yoga studio opened here in Long Beach, Yogalution Movement and Ayurveda. I’ve been to several of their classes, it’s been great!
While obsessively trying to perfect a cookie recipe, I inadvertently didn’t eat or make dinner. So spicy chipotle stove-top popcorn was the answer.
I love getting texts from my 3-year old niece, Teagan.
In cleaning off some of the photos on my phone, I realized I never shared the two new tattoos I got just before I left Buffalo. First this “Seester” tattoo that both my sister Vicky and I got matching.
And of course I needed a little something to represent my hometown! B U F F A L O
We went to the opening party last night, for a new business in Santa Ana called Best Wines Online, where our very good friend Patrick is working. Drank wine and spent time with our good friends. Actually got a nice photo of the two of us out of the deal, this was before I splashed red wine on my ivory lace dress. Weee! -
Skip the canned junk. How to make your own pumpkin puree.
The processed goop in a can, doesn’t even begin to compare to using fresh pumpkin in recipes. The taste is so much richer and it is so much better for you. Pumpkins are loaded with vitamins and nutrients. Making your own pumpkin puree is easier than you think and once you do it, you’ll probably never use the canned junk again.
I picked up two decent sized sugar pumpkins at the farmers market this weekend. Each pumpkin was just $2 each and together they will probably yield at least 4 cups of pumpkin puree, if not more. You can even use the pumpkin from the jack-o-lantern that you carved up, but the sugar (or pie) pumpkins are just a bit sweeter and more tender. If you do use your jack-o-latern pumpkin, be sure to increase the spices a bit more as they can tend to be a bit bland.
Pumpkin puree is great for pies, muffins, bread, ice cream, the list goes on and on. From one pumpkin I was able to make vegan pumpkin spice ice cream, pumpkin spice muffins and I still had some leftover that I just added some brown sugar, butter, hazelnuts and some spices for a little lunch side-dish, which I am eating as I type this.
Another great thing about baking your own pumpkin, are the seeds. Save those seeds and then toast them with a bit of olive oil and salt. They are great as a snack, on salads, or you can even make a great fall pesto with them. (that’s on the agenda for this week).
Fresh Pumpkin Puree
1 fresh sugar pumpkin (also known as a pie pumpkin)
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Cut the pumpkin in half and clean out the seeds and stringy membrane. Reserve seeds to make toasted pumpkin seeds. lace the pieces cut side down in a roasting pan along with 1/2 inch of water. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until the pumpkin is soft. You can check for doneness by piercing a fork into the flesh of the pumpkin. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Scoop the flesh away from the skin. Blend the flesh in your food processor until smooth like canned pumpkin.
The pureed pumpkin can be used right away in recipes or you can store it a day or two in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. If it is going to be more than a couple days until you will be using it, freeze it in small quantities in freezer safe bags.
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Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins with Almond Flour
Zucchini season is upon us and although my two plants aren’t producing like crazy (one plant has only male flowers), my parents’ are and I also had a ton on hand from the farmers market on Saturday. I had been craving zucchini bread since my mom made a batch and posted the photos on Facebook. I hadn’t had it in over 6 years and I had never made it myself, especially not gluten-free. So, I decided to try substituting the blueberries in the blueberry muffin recipe that I used recently, with shredded zucchini and adding in the appropriate spices. It was an experiment that I am happy to say worked wonderfully. These muffins are so moist and fluffy, they work equally as well for breakfast as they do for a light dessert. Karina’s gluten-free muffin recipe is so versatile, I can’t wait to keep experimenting with it. As with the blueberry muffin recipe that I posted, you can easily make these muffins vegan by using Ener-G Egg Replacer instead of eggs, 1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water till frothy.
Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins with Almond Flour
makes a baker’s dozen
adapted from Gluten Free GoddessPreheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk together:
1 1/3 cups almond meal (I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour)
1 cup sorghum (or brown rice flour, if desired)
1/2 cup tapioca starch or potato starch (not potato flour!)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gumBeat in:
1 1/3 cups organic light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 organic free-range egg whites (depending on the size, you are looking to get 1/4 cup of liquid), beaten until frothy
1/2 cup warm water, more as needed, up to 3/4 cup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspiceBeat the batter until it is smooth, like a slightly thickened cake batter.
Add in:
2 cups grated fresh zucchini
Stir gently and briefly.
Plop the muffin batter into the twelve lined cups. You’ll probably have some xtra- for a baker’s dozen.
Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 23 to 25 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. A wooden pick inserted into the center should emerge clean.
Cool the muffin pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Gently pop the muffins out to continue cooling on the rack (don’t cool them in the hot pan- they’ll get soggy). Sprinkle each muffin with a bit of organic raw sugar.
If your muffins are soggy or slightly underdone– due to unforeseen oven temperature variations– place them back into the warm oven directly on the center rack for five minutes or so.
Wrap and freeze cooled muffins for future breakfast treats.
