Is there anything better than muffins fresh out of the oven? Crispy on the outside…soft and doughy on the inside. With a slab of butter on top of it your mouth salivates just thinking about it. Let’s talk about today’s recipe: Paleo Raspberry Chia Muffins.
One of the beauties of muffins in general is that they are versatile. There are scores of various muffins you can make. Here at Naturopathic Earth we have chocolate walnut muffins, blueberry ones, banana walnut ones and alike, but you can also do fiber muffins, apple cinnamon, and pretty much any type your mind can come up with. Click on the captions below to try ours.
Why do we need Paleo Raspberry Chia Muffins? Well the traditional muffins are fraught with some problems. The main one being the wheat flour. Wheat flour, as we have mentioned quite extensively on this site, contains a problematic protein called gluten. Now some people have Celiac Disease, an autoimmune condition, in which the body’s immune system attacks the gut when gluten is consumed. Perhaps 2% of the population has it.
More people have some sort of sensitivity to gluten…perhaps as much as 60% of the general population. We, humans, have not been ingesting processed what for most of its existence. Similar to dairy, our bodies are not fully equipped to handle it. As a result, ingesting gluten can lead to a host of debilitating, chronic maladies, like joint pain, rashes, abdominal pain, bloating, loose stool, “leaky gut syndrome,” and “brain fog.”
So ideally we want to limit our ingestion of wheat flour. Good luck on that given that wheat products are found in bread, pasta, breakfast treats, cereals, crackers, cookies, and alike. Lucky for us, options exist.
You have two main options. One is to go Paleo and avoid wheat (and other grains containing gluten) altogether. Overall, this is the better option. Only eat what God made; therefore, animal products, produce, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, honey and that is about it.
But imagine a life without some of our favorite foods like bread and pasta. Life almost wouldn’t be worth it. So the other option is to use non-wheat flour alternatives for your baked goods. Check out our Review on non-Wheat Flour Alternatives article or podcast episode on Holistic Health News. Which is best? Macadamia flour, almond flour, coconut flour, etc.
Paleo Raspberry Chia Muffins
So let’s talk about our Paleo Raspberry Chia Muffins. We are using almond flour for the base ingredient. It is slightly more nutrient-dense than wheat flour. We toss in pastured eggs (remember one pastured egg equals the nutrient-value of 6 conventional ones). Coconut oil to soften the recipe.
For the sweetness, we use honey and vanilla extract. Honey is one of the most nutrient-dense sweeteners since you are getting actual vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that you wouldn’t get with cane sugar. Opt for Manuka honey if you can afford it. With the vanilla, opt for the better quality Bourbon or Madagascar authentic vanilla, not imitation or vanillin.
Sprinkle in the chia seeds. Why chia seeds? Chia seeds don’t taste like anything so they are true chameleons. Plus they bring in a great dose of healthy unsaturated fats and fiber (5 grams in 2 tablespoons).
With the raspberries, you are getting one of the most nutrient-dense fruits on the planet. Plus these berries are famously high in fiber (9 grams/serving), yet very low in sugar. Check out our article on High ORAC, low sugar fruits. Plus they bring a great taste and texture.
Beware that raspberries commonly score very high on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) annual Dirty Dozen list of pesticide-laden produce. Click HERE to see the other produce on the list. Opt for organic raspberries.
Add these Paleo Raspberry Chia Muffins to your breakfast arsenal. They are tasty, aesthetically-pleasing, and rather nutrient-dense…at least compared to conventional muffins.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with liners or grease well. Combine all the ingredients except for the berries. Mix well until batter is consistent. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into each liner. Distribute the raspberries evenly among the 12 muffins. Bake for 15 minutes. Edges should be brown but the center gooey and firm. Allow to cool. Sprinkle some cinnamon on the top if you like.
Ingredients
Instructions