I’m a foodie. I’m a health nut. And I unite them beautifully. Through Gratitude Food I’d like to present to you that delicious food is naturally healthy. In fact, if you stick to real, honest ingredients you can’t help but create awesome meals. Whether you want to delight your family and friends for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holy day (which is every day), I hope Gratitude Food inspires you to truly enjoy celebrating food again.

Today, I’m sharing a recent favorite with you: Scrumptious Superfood Muffins you actually want to eat. And I’m saying “that you actually want to eat” because they’re truly good for you. No added sugars or sweeteners (only the naturally present fructose in the small amount of organic fruit I choose to use), no grains, no artificial anything. All organic. All good. Real easy. So what’s in it? Here we go!

 

 

The base of the “dough” can be as simple as coconut flour. The blend I’ve been loving most consists of coconut flour, hemp hearts, chia seeds, and cacao nibs. At the beginning I played it safe by adding baking powder and baking soda but it works just as well without it. So I leave it out.

You want your baked goods to have a good heart. I use organic + pastured eggs and coconut oil. Always make sure your eggs come from hens that roam freely; i.e. they enjoy fresh air, sunshine, plenty of space, and get to eat their natural diet. You want to support what’s good and nourish your body. Crap can’t do that.

 

 

In terms of flavah, play to your soul’s delight! Go hogwild in your spice cabinet to spike the heart notes of whatever seasonal fruit you pick (bonus if it’s local). Fall/winter combinations I’m currently enjoying: Apple-cranberry with cinnamon/nutmeg/sea salt/cardamom/chili and orange-goji-golden berry with cinnamon (always cinnamon)/clove/fennel/turmeric/seabuckthorn. If you feel inclined, add superfoods such as he shou wu (great rejuvenator), astragalus (aura protector), ashwaganda (hormone-balancing adaptogen), reishi & chaga (medicinal mushrooms great for strengthening immunity), phycocyanin (blue pigment in spirulina)...

I don’t like sweet so for me the naturally present fructose in the fruit I use is enough. It’s a matter of re-training your taste buds to optimize health. It all comes down to the gut, and the absence of sugar is the foundation of vibrant wellbeing. If you desire to add a little sweet to your creations, try some organic honey, maple syrup, monk fruit, or stevia.

 

While I’m big on taste & nutrition, I eyeball ingredients once I’ve followed a recipe’s measurements a couple of times. It’s the divine flow of a moving meditation. That said, here are ingredients and measurements to get you started:

RECIPE

All organic, paleo (can be veganized, see below)

(makes about 8 muffins, or a small-medium pie)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 4 eggs (pastured!) [You could veganize this recipe by making “chia eggs” out of chia seeds + water. In this case, I’d add 1 teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda to help the dough rise more easily]
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• Fruit of choice (e.g. 2 apples + 1/2 cup of cranberries OR 2 oranges = a handful of goji berries)
• 1 cup cacao nibs (gives great texture and aroma)
• Spices of delight (cinnamon, cardamon, clove, nutmeg, fennel, chili, anise seed…)
• Love

• Preheat oven to 350
• Bake for 40 min; depending on the depth of your muffins you may or may not want to add 5 minutes of baking time. Turn off oven. Let baked goods cool on the stove top. Enjoy!

Put all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend the eggs, coconut oil, and fruit in a food processor (for a chunky texture, mix eggs & fat first, then add fruit and pulse). Combine wet and dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Add love. Say a blessing. Put in no non-stick baking tins or Pyrex (grease both with coconut oil), or silicone molds. Bake according to instructions above. Love what you're doing.

Enjoy!

Good-for-your-hips holidays: Scrumptious, healthy muffins HERE! 

When a health nut & foodie have a culinary kid... 

Your best holiday dessert: here now :)