Recipe: Vanilla Pear Muffins

Leanne Vogel August 16, 2012

I’m pretty sure I’ve become obsessed with muffins. It feels like I’ve been posting a gluten-free muffin recipe each and every week. Hmm… I supposed I have been. But wait, these muffins are just as good as the last and they’re grain-free too which is a bonus, right?

Perhaps I’ve been drawn to create muffins because Fall is coming (eak I said the “F” word in August!) but there’s no denying it now. The kids on the street are talking about going back to school, school supplies are everywhere, and I’m getting the I must bake lots of things and freeze them for the blustery weather ahead feeling. Sure, I could make casseroles, and I’m sure that stage will come, but for right now… it’s muffins.

Muffins are a great school food. They’re portable dollops of goodness that Moms can pack full of good things and kids will eat without batting an eye. Add ground flax seed for a dose of healthy fats, protein powder to amp up your child’s protein intake, extra fruit if it’s challenging to get them to eat the whole fruit you pack in their lunch, double up on the nuts for added fiber… there are so many ways to make this lunch companion work for you.

For Kevin and I, our perfect muffin is something that’s light, low in calories, and high in fiber. We both love to snack, but at 250 calories a pop for the average homemade muffin, snacking on too much just ‘aint a good thing! We’ve both been less active due to a massive shift in our lives right now so we need less calories in a day, but love to eat and need to feel full when we do so we don’t keep mindlessly snacking.

Enter the muffin that’s solving our snacking problem one low calorie, high fiber bite at a time!

150 calorie grain-free muffins made with coconut flour, lemon zest, vanilla and fresh pears. Perfect for traveling, lunches, or a sweet afternoon snack.

Ingredients

Wet

• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoonextra-virgin coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoon non-dairy milk – I used lite coconut milk
• 3 tablespoon unpasteurized honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free pure vanilla extract

Dry

• ¼ cup sifted coconut flour
• ¼ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

• ¼ large bosc pear, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon coconut/coconut sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line 6 muffin tins with muffin cups. Set aside.
2. Place wet ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix well with a hand mixer.
3. In a small bowl, combine coconut flour with baking powder and nutmeg. Drop into the wet ingredients and mix until there are no lumps.
4. Drop batter into muffin cups and place sliced pears on top with a sprinkle of coconut sugar.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes.
6. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 1 minute before removing from the pan and placing on a cooling rack to cool.
7. Notes

Muffins can be stored for a few days at room temperature. Keep in the fridge to prolong time, or freeze in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.