I’ve never really had a soft spot for the typical comfort “on-the-go” breakfast foods like muffins, donuts, bagels and scones. With the colder months and holidays ahead, I thought it was a good idea to come up with a muffin recipe for those who do have that soft spot.
Often times people tribute any extra weight they might be carrying around to their morning breakfast routine of bagels, pancakes, or [fill in the blank with your favorite pastry or starchy breakfast food]. My response when I hear comments like is to figure out how to make a not-so-good-for-you food a better-for-you food, which usually means making it at home. Depriving yourself of foods that you crave is not going to do anyone any good. This is why fad and crash dieting never works in the long run.
When you cook for yourself instead of eating from a restaurant you know exactly what is in your food. Keep in mind that restaurants are a business so their main objective is profit. They want the food to taste good so that you keep coming back and with friends. They might choose to use less healthy or cheaper ingredients in order to keep their profit up.
These muffins are great because they are mini but satisfying. I added flaxseeds for extra fiber to help you feel fuller longer. Flaxseeds are one of the most concentrated plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid, which means we can only get it from the foods we eat. We need essential fatty acids for tissue strength, muscle tone, cholesterol metabolism, blood clotting and a healthy heart… pretty important stuff.
When you use flaxseeds, always make sure you grind them up before serving. Grinding them up breaks their hard shells and allows for digestion and absorption of their nutrients. You can grind them in a coffee grinder – it’s that easy. Store them in an airtight container in a cool and dark place like your refrigerator.
So go ahead… give ‘em a try.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups almond flour
3/4 cups oat flour (pour rolled oats into your blender and hit the switch). If you are gluten free (GF) make you sure you buy GF rolled oats. They aren’t all GF.
15 oz pumpkin (canned is fine)
2 tablespoons flax seed, grounded
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup cranberries (optional)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Combine all ingredients except cranberries in a large mixing bowl and blend
Fold in cranberries with spoon
Pour batter into muffin baking sheet. The batter will not rise very much so you can fill it 3/4 or more of the way full.
Bake until golden brown on top – approximately 40 minutes
Tags: Recipes, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free