There's a lot to love about these almond-flour-based muffins. Yes, they're sugar- and gluten-free and each one serves up 10g of protein. But the best part? Feel free to top them with favorite sweet things like Nutella or nut butter and jam, and they'll still get a high score from ZOE. (What's ZOE? Read about it here). My recipe is inspired by one I found in The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook by Dr Mark Hyman. (Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.)
First, here's the ZOE score for the muffins alone:
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With ZOE, you're aiming to eat meals that score 75 or more so this is great score for a muffin. Here's what happens if you pair it with Nutella:
It's still a decent score considering how much sugar is in Nutella, and my 12-year-old daughter loves this combination. Instead of Nutella, consider Choc Zero's keto spread - there are 4 flavors.
Want to take the score up to 93? Pair a muffin with almond butter and my favorite sugar-free jam:
I hope you're convinced that a sugar-free muffin can be really delicious! Let's get into the recipe.
You need a couple of mixing bowls and a large muffin tray (this makes six big muffins). Muffin ingredients:
Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
Almond meal
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Salt
Eggs
Unsweetened applesauce
Vanilla extract
Frozen blueberries
Hemp seeds (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a 6-cup non-stick muffin pan with olive oil or baking spray.
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another (except the blueberries - they go in as late as possible). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until there are no dry patches. Once the muffin pan is greased and the oven is ready, add the blueberries. They need to go in right before you put these babies in the oven. This prevents the berries from defrosting into the mixture and turning it all purple.
The muffin cups should be close to full, then pop them in the oven for 25-30 mins.
They're done when they're golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Pop them out onto a cooling tray for at least 10 mins before serving.
These muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months so do yourself a favor and bake a double batch!
And remember: adding almond butter and/or Choc Zero raspberry or strawberry jam will add even more plants to your meal and make them extra yummy.
HOW TO MAKE SUGAR-FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
- 1 cup of almond flour (or meal - that works too)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 large eggs (I haven't tried a vegan substitute but I bet it would work fine)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries (the smaller the better)
- Optional: 1.5 tablspoons of hemp seeds because they're great for you and this is good way to sneak them in.
STEP BY STEP
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 6-cup nonstick muffin pan with either olive oil or baking spray.
- Stir together the almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until there are no dry patches. Once the batter is smooth (and the oven preheated), fold in the blueberries. It's crucial that they go in last, otherwise they start defrosting in the mixture and turn everything purple.
- Divide batter evenly among 6 muffin cups. Give the pan a few gentle taps on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 25-30 mins. The muffins are cooked if a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack for 10 mins before serving. Leftover muffins can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months. So make a double batch!