The recipe I promised you is for Apple Spice Muffins. A moist, delicious muffin that is gluten free, dairy free, vegan AND contains no white sugar whatsoever. All of this and it tastes AMAZING! Can you believe it??? These delicious morsels are not dense and crumbly, not too sweet, and are loaded with fiber. This is a muffin that you don't have to feel guilty about!
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| Apple Spice Muffin drizzled with wild honey |
I borrowed the original recipe from Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen and tweaked it here and there just a bit until I came up with this version. Kelly's original recipe calls for Xylosweet and stevia. I haven't tried Xylosweet yet and I'm just not a huge fan of stevia. It seems to impart a strange aftertaste in my baked goods. Perhaps it's because I haven't been off of white sugar long enough yet. Not sure. (I've been told that the longer you're off of the white stuff, the better stevia will taste.)
For now I like to use agave, honey (for non vegan recipes), pure maple syrup and coconut sugar. Yes, they do have higher glycemic index rates but they are still better than standard white/brown sugar by far and have that yummy sweetness sans any odd aftertaste. As an FYI, here's a list of common sweeteners and there GI value:
White/Brown Sugar (64)
Black Strap Molasses (55)
Pure Maple Syrup (54)
Sugar Cane Juice (43)
Coconut Sugar (Palm Sugar) (35)
Raw Honey (30)
Brown Rice Syrup (25)
Agave (11-30) *Depending on brand
Xlyosweet (7)
Stevia (less than 1)
Some of these may be a bit higher on the scale but take longer for the body to metabolize so they do not lead to crazy blood sugar spikes like white sugar will produce. I'm new to using coconut sugar but love the fact that not only does it have a low GI, it is also full of nutrition and also does not cause spikes in blood sugar. It is very similar to brown sugar in it texture and appearance but has a more mild flavor and sweetness. Be sure to measure it as you would brown sugar, packing it into the measuring cup. And due to it not being as sweet, you may want to add a little more than what your recipe usually calls for until you are used to it.
On to the recipe...
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| My lil' helper! |
I had a special helper in the kitchen on this particular day. My nephew (who is a much better baker/chef than I am by the way) loves to help me try out new recipes. I love how excited he is in the kitchen, creating healthy food - he's so full of passion and loves to experiment. I do believe he could be the next Iron Chef!
These muffins are really easy to make once you have all the flours. Just mix wet and dry in separate bowls and then combine...how easy is that? You could also mix together the dry ingredients ahead of time and then keep them in a baggie in the fridge so that whenever you want delicious, homemade muffins, you can whip them up in just minutes! (I used Bob's Red Mill products for the flours. Also, you'll want to make sure that the baking powder and vanilla you are using are gluten free.)
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| Mixing it all together! |
Preheat oven to 350. Line or grease a muffin tin. Blend together the following dry ingredients in a bowl:
-1 cup sorghum flour
-1/2 cup almond flour (or meal)
-1/2 cup ground flax meal
-1/4 cup tapioca flour
-1/4 cup coconut flour
-1 tbsp. cinnamon
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
In another bowl, whisk together:
-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
-1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
-1/2 cup pure maple syrup or agave
-1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Mix the wet into the dry. Stir in:
-2 cups grated (peeled) apples (about 2 apples)
*Could also add some chopped walnuts or some raisins, if you like
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| These are so very good!!! |
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