So, I think the server issue has been resolved, so finally I can post again!!
I woke up the other morning and groggily asked John what he wanted for breakfast and he mumbled something about the usual eggs and I mumbled back that I really wanted muffins. John laughed at my silliness, because where the heck was I going to come up with muffins? So I stumbled to the kitchen and while still bleary eyed and half asleep, I mixed up these most amazing muffins and ate them feeling guilty, although I had no need to feel guilt at all…. So, I’ll share the recipe with you and hope that you feel a bit guilty too; because then I’ll know they are as good as I experienced them to be.
Paleo Apple Muffins
2 1/4 cups almond meal
4 omega 3 enriched eggs
1 organic apple finely chopped
1 very ripe banana
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 heaping tbsp cinnamon
Pre heat oven to 350. As pictured, have a two year old attack and kill an apple while you peel the banana and using a fork, mash the bananna in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Using a hand held chopper if you have one, finely chop the freshly killed apple, and add to the bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix by hand. The batter will not be super thick, but more like a cake batter. Using a bit more coconut oil, grease a muffin tin. Fill the tins about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-17 minutes. You will know they are done when you can insert a toothpick into the middle of a muffin and it comes out clean. Serve hot out of the oven with some ghee melted on top, accompanied by eggs over-easy, and hot black coffee. If you eat them all at once, don’t blame me… Makes approximately 16 muffins.
Enjoy!!
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These muffins turned out great! What a perfect snack for the kids…thanks for sharing!
This looks delicious! I’m going to be making these the next chance I get! Thanks for sharing.
Will try those for sure! Meanwhile, you might want to try these for your next guilt-free muffin attack: Banana Blueberry Muffins. I got them from Elana Amsterdam’s Almond Flour Cookbook and they’re yum (plus an excellent way to get rid of a bunch of very ripe bananas). Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease the muffin cups with olive oil (I use a light one). Take 3 cups of blanched almond flour, add 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1.5 tsp baking soda, and mix. Whisk 2 tablespoons of oil together with 3 large eggs and combine with the almond flour mixture. Stir 2 cups (4 to 5) mashed, very ripe bananas into the batter, and add 1 cup of frozen blueberries. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve (either warm or not, whatever you prefer). When I have an off-day and need some soothing sweetness, I add a few tablespoons of honey to give them that little extra, but they’re great without it too. Enjoy!
Hi Claudia,
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I think I’ll try it this weekend!
Both of these recipes sound delish! Muffins are one of those foods that I always want to eat, but I haven’t in a million years because of the sugar/gluten thing…Thanks for sharing…I’m totally gonna feel guilty this weekend stuffing my face muffins.
sounds really good! I can’t wait to try it after my 30 days.
Wow,these look so easy to make! BTW: Do you get the almond flour at Trader Joes?
Made these with just a few changes – I didn’t have banana so I used 2 shredded apples; or baking soda (used powder) but they were still AWEsome. I am thinking they would be great as a carrot cake if I used shredded carrot instead of the apple. Would you change anything else in the recipe if making them into carrot cake? Nutmeg or cloves perhaps? Extra sweetener? Thank you so much for my new favorite treat!
Hi Melissa,
I love the carrot cake idea! I would add nutmeg and a touch of cloves, maybe even a bit of ground ginger! I personally am really trying to stay away from anything sugar related these days but of course they would be great if you added some raw organic honey. ; ) Or, if you add more finely chopped apples, I bet it would make them sweeter. If you make them, let me know how they turn out!
I cannot wait to try these!! Miss you girl, Hope all is well girlie! Lil Rowan is adorable)
Katie!! I miss you too! Can’t wait to see you when you get back!! : )
I have been craving muffins lately as well! This looks like a great recipe and Im thinking I might just have to execute them tonight for breakfast tomorrow morning! Thanks for shareing and we are glad you are up and running again.
I tried your recipe!
You have done it again! =)
It is really good, but were yours kinda sweet at all?
Mine were good. I could taste the apple, banana, and cinnamon…but it wasn’t sweet.
Great job nonetheless!
Hey Theo,
I wouldn’t call them “sweet” but because I rarely eat anything sweet besides fruit, they tasted like a treat to me!
I can’t get coconut oil anywhere. Do you think this would work with almond oil?
Hi Shelley! I think almond oil would work just fine!
I’m new to Paleo but in a comment earlier someone said they would try this recipe after their 30 days… am I missing something? Looking at this recipe I thought everything looked “legal”. Is there something in here that wouldn’t be recommended in the 30 day challenge?
Thanks!
Hey Steph! I think that maybe this person is also watching fat intake to lean out so maybe that’s why…
Hi Sarah,
I just found your blog and am very excited to see all the possibilities with paleo food (especially cooking for a family), as I often get into a rut. I’m interested in trying your muffins, but I was wondering if you know anything about the nutrition information on these babies. I try to be conscious of the insulin response (I”m a big fan of Mark Sisson’s primal eating) during meals and would be interested in knowing the carb/protein/fat content. Or, for example, would you say one muffin is equivalent to the amount of carbs in one piece of fruit such as an apple of banana? Let me know if you can. Thanks!
Hi Meaghan!
I have not figured out the exact carb/protein/fat content of these muffins but there is only one apple and one banana in the entire batch of muffins to eating one muffin would not be equivalent to the amount of carbs in a piece of fruit. These are high in fat being that they are really only made from almond meal, and when I do make these I only eat one and always with some protein – and if you are trying to lean out I wouldn’t make these muffins a staple in your diet. I hope this helps! : )
Sarah
Thanks for your quick response, Sarah! I’m sure I’ll have more questions as I peruse your site more.
This is such a great resource. Many of my clients (and myself) are always looking for ways to duplicate whole grain snacks without having the effects of elevated glucose levels.
For anyone reading, don’t be overly concerned with the macronutrient break down of this recipe. The fat source comes from the almond meal, and all the carbs are fruit based, so they will not cause a drastic insulin response.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Personal Trainer VA – I’m excited that you will be able to use my blog to help your clients, very cool! : )
These were great! I don’t follow a strict paleo diet, but I like to try new recipes, and I have friends who are paleo. I did change the recipe just a bit. I used only 3 eggs, 1 cup of unsweetened organic applesauce instead of the banana, and 1/4 cup of coconut butter instead of the coconut oil and didn’t add the water. I found that I had to bake my muffins for 30 minutes, as well. But anyway, thanks for sharing the great recipe! My family and I really enjoyed these muffins!
oops…I meant 1/2 cup of applesauce. Not 1 cup! Sorry!
Hey Sarah
So this is my 3rd time making them, and I think this is my best batch! =)
Everyone is surprised when I tell them, what its made out of. I just won’t tell them how I did it. LOL.
They taste great w/ a bit of Sunflower Butter on top.
Have a nice day!
T H E O
Hey Theo! Glad you like the muffins – I’ll try them next time with the sunflower butter – do you get yours at Traders?
I’ve made these several times now. I’ve made them into carrot cake muffins with and without cream cheese/butter cream frosting (splenda or stevia) and they were a huge success. I made a batch of these with lots of red delicious apples and they came out super sweet – almost like my favorite donut (apple fritter). I’m back for another round. This time I’m going to make a pumpkin muffin since I can’t find red delicious apples to save my life right now. LOL. This is my all-time favorite muffin recipe. Thanks so much for posting it.
Great recipe! I used olive oil because I didn’t have coconut oil on hand and doubled the cinnamon. I also replaced 1/2 C of the almond meal for ground flax meal. I can’t wait to try them again with some of the other change options listed…. particularly adding more apples in hopes for an apple fritter type treat.
Going to have to try to modify this for fresh pumpkin!
Looks great!
I love the pictures of the 2 yo. chef!
I’m wondering if anyone has a good substitute for eggs in a recipe like this one. I have severe gluten sensitivity and many, many attendant food allergies, including eggs. Bummer. All ingredients would work for me except the eggs.
Thanks!
Hey Kim,
Check out my most recent post – it has a cookie recipe that is similar to the muffin recipe but made with almond butter and no eggs!
Hi everybody! I was wondering if you got that pumpkin muffin nailed down. Also, I was wondering what coconut or almond flour is. Are those allowed in the WHOLE30?
Hi Stacey,
I have not yet made the muffins with added pumpkin but I think it would be super easy to do – in fact – the nutty cookie recipe that I just put up on my last blog post I made again last night and added 1/2 a can of organic unsweetened pumpkin and only used 1 banana and they turned out great! Coconut flour is just dried coconut ground into flour and almond flour is just almonds ground really fine – into flour like consistency, and yes, you can make your own almond flour in a food processor. These items are paleo friendly but if you are trying to lean out or are on a 30 day challenge, I wouldn’t recommend eating a ton of this sort of thing- they are really calorie dense. A good treat for sure and great for kids – but probably shouldn’t be what you sustain yourself on throughout the day. : )
Hi I was also wondering if it is possible to make your own almond meal…
So baking soda is Paleo friendly? We are doing a “Paleo Challenge” at my CrossFit gym and a very similar recipe was shared but it did not have baking soda. I simiply assumed it was not Paleo friendly.
Side note: YOU HAVE AN AWESOME SITE!! I get so excited visiting this site for quick easy Paleo recipes. It makes staying on this healthly eating path so much easier.
Hi Yvette! Yes, baking soda is fine! Thanks so much – I’m so glad you are enjoying my site – comments like yours keep me motivated to keep it going! Good luck with the challenge, let me know how it goes!
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for replying so quickly! I am doing the Whole30 and am trying to lean out. I am 8 days in and feeling great!! I have been including my meat, mostly veggies, and fat into every meal. You are lean and I was wondering if you have any advice for getting that way after kids. I have two kids and my stomach isn’t what it used to be even after losing weight. People say I look great, but being a person who loves Crossfit, I want to not only feel good but I want to lean out and want to look better than normal. I feel great and I but I am a Crossfitter and love to workout. I am hoping that this will help me lean out. Any suggestions on how to lean out? I love those before and after pics of that lady on your CF section and she looks great!!! She looks good before, but it looks like she wanted to take it a step further to really look great and that is me. Anyway, i’m babbling so if you get a chance, let me know if you have any advice!
Thanks for letting me know about the almond flour and coconut flour. I don’t plan on making it a meal, but it would be nice to have a little “treat.”
Stacey – sorry I should answer all your questions in one response but the way I go through them, I notice one at a time! Anyway, suggestion to help lean out include: eat protein at every meal, do not eat a lot of fruit and if you do, stick to berries and keep it minimal. Do not snack on a lot of nuts, if you eat them, eat just a small handful. Make sure you get enough sleep. Lack of sleep will make you keep on the weight, especially around the mid section. Do not overtrain – if you are sore for days and days on end, dial it back a bit. Make sure you are letting your body recover. Always eat breakfast and don’t let yourself get to that starving point. I hope all of these fast tips help!
Hi Sarah,
So never seeing almond meal, do I just grind up the almonds very small in the food processor and then very small to make flour?
I’m apologize, I forgot to ask you something…if I am hungry at night, if I’m trying to lean out, what is the best thing for me to eat? I try not to snack after dinner, but sometimes I am very hungry if I end up being later than usual. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Stacey, no worries – I suggest if you are trying to lean out to not snack too much at night and if you do snack, stick to protein and a little bit of fat like some avocado. I would stay away from snacking on a nuts or fruit, especially in the evening. I would suggest sliced turkey and a bit of avocado and a couple cherrie tomatoes or a hardboiled egg drizzled with a bit of olive oil.
Ok I made these last night. This recipe needs to come with a warning label “DANGER: WILL INDUCE EUPHORIC EATING SENSATIONS.” I had to leave the kitchen and ask my partner to hide the remaining muffins.
For Stacy: Making your own almond meal: http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreeingredient1/ht/makealmondmeal.htm
Oh and I would avoid making these for leaning out. They are that good and it’s hard to have just one. I naively thought that eating a half of one as a snack would be possible. I’m going to have to find other snacks as well.
Sarah,
I love your site. I just went to the Whole9Life seminar on nutrition and we just started a Paleo challenge yesterday at Crossfit MSP. My family is not all that excited about eating Paleo but I am hoping to convert them by feeding them great meals from recipes like your Paleo Lasagna. I also made these Apple Muffins this morning and my girls loved them. My family was so excited to wake up to the smell of yummy warm apples and cinnamon. Thank you for your time in putting this blog together. It is amazing.
Thank you Sarah, for the egg reply. I have had my eye on the cookies, too and cannot wait to try them. Have to get the coconut ingredients, first and I am also very excited about starting to use coconut oil when I get it in the house. By the way, I have looked at several recipe sites for paleo eating and yours is, by far, the best. Better recipes, more user-friendly info and so positive it helps so much when I feel like I’m the only person on the planet who KNOWS this is the healthiest way to eat. I seem to be surrounded by people who think that meat is evil and unhealthy.
Eating paleo was what helped my doctor FINALLY diagnose me with Celiac disease and I’d been sick for my whole life and I’m 56. I felt so much better without grain it was a big clue.
You have inspired me beyond words… my new path to health has been both exhilarating and difficult and it helps immensely to have the encouragement and actual HELP your site has provided. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Hi Sarah:
I made these muffins and they were awesome however when I stored them in tupperware they start to heat up and cause a lot of condensation and then quickly went bad. Any idea why? Did you have this problem. Next time I guess we just need to eat them all as soon as they come out of the oven.
Yvonne
Can I just say that 1) I ditto everything everyone has said about these muffins and can’t wait to make some as a treat!
2) The picture of your little one attacking the apple with plastic forks and knives is ADORABLE!!!
Hi Sarah, I wanted to check about the baking soda thing. I saw that Yvette asked the same question. I have read all the paleo books and everything I have read state that baking soda is not paleo. Can you help with this?
Hi Debbie – Here’s my take on baking soda and life in general really. Every now and then we like to make apple muffins and they really puff up nicely when I put 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda in them. Maybe there are people that do not think baking soda is “paleo” because the cave man didn’t have an oven or a store or a way to go and get the stuff. Although it could be argued that cave people did digest “baking soda” being that it is only sodium bicarbonate and is sometimes found naturally dissolved in mineral springs. Baking POWDER on the other hand often has corn starch in it – but even then – I wouldn’t call it the evils of all evils. Baking soda does not historically cause heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or obesity – unlike gluten filled sugar laden foods, so if a bit of baking soda helps by getting your kids, or yourself to eat a healthy apple muffin and baking soda makes it taste a bit better – then I think it’s about as damn paleo as it can get. When we start treating eating paleo like a religion instead of like real life, I get a bit scared… You have to make choices based on what’s best for YOU and whats best for me is to not worry about baking soda. : ) In fact, in the paleo diet for athletes, Dr. Cordain actually recommends baking soda for to help lower blood acidity – so I doubt that everything everywhere says that baking soda “is not paleo.” IN fact, a quick internet search on paleo and baking soda brings up lots of interesting views, most very neutral about the stuff. I hope this info helps!! : )
Thank you so much Sarah. I ask because this life style becomes so subjective. I totally agree with your point view. Things in moderation is ok. I want to confirm things as I cook paleo for people that are strict paleo eaters. I try to find information and it’s tough to find consistent information. I totally appreciate you getting back to me and I really enjoy your site.
Deb
I have recently started the Paleo lifestyle and your website has been a great help to me. I absolutely love your muffins. I have made them at least 3 times since coming across your site.
These were great! I topped them with a drizzle of honey. Thanks!
I am definitely going to make these muffins!! I am wondering if I could use coconut flour or a combination of almond meal and coconut flour.
Hi Yvonne, I would try a combo of coconut flour and almond meal to get the right consistency!
Is it possible to get the nutritional info for this?
Oh I want to make these tomorrow morning but do not have coconut oil… what can I sub?? Thank you!!
Hi Sarah! You can sub with grass fed butter!
Sarah,
My daughter and I have these for breakfast many mornings a week. I am having trouble with them sticking to the pan. I bought an expensive non stick muffin pan and use the coconut oil but they still stick. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!
Hi Linae, Hmmmm, mine usually don’t stick in my non-stick pan – maybe use more coconut oil and make sure your batter isn’t too runny? I hope that helps; let me know! : )
Amazingly YUM!! Had dinner just about ready when these came out of the oven, but they looked & smelt so great I had to try one. Muffin, egg and berries for breakfast tomorrow-can’t wait. Thanks Sarah for all of your hard work, we all appreciate it very much!!
Awesome Kellie, thank you so much!! : )
These sound great! I’d like to make them without the banana and am wondering if you have any thoughts on how to adjust the recipe? Do you think they would need more water or? I am fine with them being less sweet, but I have some digestive issues that need me to keep my fruit (and sugar) consumption LOW, which is why I’m interested in removing the banana and not adding any other sweetener in its place.
Thanks!
Hi Autum! I I think you would be fine without the banana and maybe just add a couple tablespoons of water if the batter seems way too thick. You should be just fine without it!! : )
Hi Sarah,
I love your website and have made many of your meals, thank you very much! I was just curious what kind of almond meal you buy and where you buy it? I have a feeling you are going to say Trader Joes. I wish we had one close by! The kind that I have is called Bob’s Red Mill and is finely ground. Yours does not look as fine and it looks like it still has the skin.
Thanks!
Hi Lindsey Q! Yup, you guessed it! Trader Joe’s is where I buy my almond meal from but you can also make your own if you have a food processor, just process the heck out of whole raw almonds until the get to the consistency that you want! : )
Perfect! Thanks Sarah
My fiance & I just joined a Crossfit gym in Nashville this month and have started to eat Paleo (or as close to it as we can) as well. This was our first official “everyday paleo” recipe – SO GOOD!
Thanks so much for posting this and other recipes! Will definitely make it easier to eat Paleo and enjoy it! 
Awesome Sara Ross!!
These were delish..i added a handful of raisins before baking. My husband couldnt believe they were paleo! Thanks!
Yummy idea with the raisins!
I did these as an after school snack for my kids but instead of cupcakes put them in a donut pan. Success!
How fun!!
Great recipe! Love the pictures! I have been sharing some of your recipes on my blog, feel free to use mine!
Is there a sub for the coconut oil?
You can use grass fed organic butter! : )