Over the past couple of years, I’ve found that I feel the best when I avoid grains. Period. I do not have an official diagnoses of any kind, but avoiding grains has really helped me reduce unexplainable aches and pains, as well as brain fog and water retention. In addition, I found that it was also key to shedding those last few pounds that seem impossible to penetrate on the scale. Sticking to a grain free diet isn’t easy, I’m not going to lie, but when you are battling health issues, is seems like a no brainer. Although I try not to let old habits sneak back in, I believe that a little cheat now and then is totally acceptable. The key to my success is often directly related to discovering a few go-to foods that work specifically for me. I’ve collected a few recipes that are both tasty and quick to crab when the cravings come knocking. One of my absolute favourites is this muffin recipe. I almost always have them frozen in my fridge freezer for easy access and a quick snack to grab and go. I generally pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds and smother it in butter…yum!! Although I try my best to avoid grains, I am big on fats and never shy away from butter and high fat cream in my coffee! These are hands-down my favourite muffins, but I should preface that by saying that I try not to eat too much sugar either, so some may find they lack sweetness. My palate has adjusted to minimal sugar in my diet, so I don’t find them bland at all. I have tried many recipes for “healthy muffins”, but I always return to this go-to recipe that was passed on to me by a friend at work. They are 100% guilt free, filling and super yummy!

Paleo Morning Glory Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups almond flour
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 cups grated carrot
• 1 large apple (peeled, cored and grated)
• 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 T. melted honey
• ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1 cup chopped dates/prunes (or raisins, if you prefer)
• *Orange zest (optional)

1. Grease the muffin tins. (I always cut small squares of parchment paper that are about 1 ¼” to fit right in the bottom of my pan. My mom always did this and the muffins come out beautifully. I peel the little papers off before serving or freezing.)
2. Combine dry ingredients and mix.
3. Add carrot, apple, coconut and dates/prunes. Combine well.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, honey, oil and vanilla together.
5. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix well. It will be very thick and appear almost too dry.
6. Spoon into muffin pan and gently pat each muffin down (it’s thick enough to do this). Bake 25 to 35 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean.)
7. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a rack.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

*2 T. of honey is not much sweetener as compared to a regular recipe, but I will often lessen the amount. Once you eliminate sugar from your diet, it is surprising how quickly your palette adjusts to needing/wanting less sweetness.

*The original recipe calls for raisins, but I much prefer dates/prunes.

*I will often use a date based sweetener in lieu of the honey. See below:

Place 6 dates and 3 T. of the water in a microwave safe dish and heat for 30 seconds. Remove and use a fork to mash the dates. Add a 4th T. of water and heat another 30 seconds. Remove and stir until smooth.

Be sure to let me know if you decide to try these out. I’d love to hear how you like them. You may be like me and they become a new staple in your freezer!