Light moist gluten free muffins laced with toasted hazelnuts and chocolate chips.
Working as a nutritional health coach I meet with people from all walks of life with a diverse range of dietary needs and requirements.
More often than not the biggest hurdle people face when it comes to eliminating the major game players, namely gluten/wheat and dairy, is finding something to satisfy their sweet tooth. The processed pre-packaged options available tend to either fail on the nutritional front having been pumped up with starch and refined flours, or exclude only one of the aforementioned food/food groups.
Commonly people consider the gluten free alternatives, from bread to muffins and everything in between, to be healthier than there gluten containing counterparts.
In reality if you want a truly healthy option you really need to get your baking action on at home. It won’t take as long as your think, nor will it require you to buy a vast array of crazy ingredients.
I’m personally not a fan of using large quantities of starch in my baking. I’m happy enough to indulge in slightly heavier baked goods, safe in the knowledge that I’m not flooding my body with rapidly digested starches that in effect instantly turn to sugar once ingested.
These muffins are easily adapted to meet your taste preferences and dietary requirements. Always gluten free and wholegrain, with or without eggs, laden nuts or not a nut in sight, apple or pear, both work perfectly to create a light, healthier, refined sugar free muffin that will serve you and our body right any time of the day.
A grab and go breakfast, afternoon snack….as one on my clients recently requested…a muffin she can make with her children without feeling guilty about the inevitable process of them wanting to eat them!
Having baked muffins with her three children the week previous using refined flour, sugar and more butter than any minuscule dairy intolerance could handle, she pretty much jumped for joy at the prospect of an alternative that would truly nourish and satisfy their sweet teeth in one fell healthified swoop.
These muffins are just the ticket. Moist, light, with little indulgent chunks of chocolate and toasted crunchy hazelnut! If you don’t like hazelnuts use your nut of choice and a juicy apple can replace the pear if you can’t get your hands on juicy one!
What’s your all time favourite muffin?
*This is a copy of the article and recipe I recently had published in Easy Food.
Pear Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins
by Michelle Hunt
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 -23 minutes
Keywords: bake dessert breakfast snack gluten-free vegan vegetarian soy-free almond meal almond milk hazelnuts pear
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Ingredients (12 muffins)
120g (1 cup) gluten free oat flour (ground from gluten free oats)
50g (½ cup) almond meal/flour (replace with sweet rice flour for a nut free version)
90g (¾ cup) gluten free buckwheat flour
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 organic eggs whisked or 2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water mixed
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
250ml (1 cup) unsweetened non dairy milk of choice
55g (¼ cup) unrefined coconut oil
125ml (½ cup) apple sauce (100% apple, unsweetened)
2 tsp vanilla extract
80g (½ cup) coconut sugar
60g (½ cup) toasted skinned hazelnuts roughly chopped (leave out for a nut free version)
1 large ripe pear peeled and grated
60g (1/3 cup) dark chocolate roughly chopped (dairy free, 70%/85%) (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180C (350F, Gas Mark 4). Line a muffin tray with 12 liners.
Whisk together eggs with non dairy milk, apple sauce, coconut sugar, and vanilla. If using flax and water option whisk together and set to one side for 10 minutes until “eggy” in consistency. Then whisk in to wet ingredients.
Mix together flours, baking powder and soda.
Add melted coconut oil to wet ingredients before mixing with the dry ingredients. Fold to combine.
Add in grated pear and once combined fold in chocolate and hazelnuts if using.
Divide between the 12 liners and bake for 20-22 minutes, until lightly browned, risen, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tray. Store in a seal tight container and consumer within two days or freeze for up to one month.
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