Paleo Muffins: Blueberry
For some nice, simple muffins that everyone will enjoy, you can’t go wrong with blueberry.
My 2 year-old nephew enjoyed them, but he wasn’t too crazy about the blueberry skins. So if you have toddlers, be prepared to pick up berry skins with all of the fruit sucked out of them.
If you include dairy in your diet, you could use half and half or milk in place of the coconut milk. That’s what I did with these.
You can adjust the sweetness by reducing the honey to 1/4 cup. I used more in this recipe than I usually do. The fruit adds some sweetness and the cinnamon adds some flavor, so I think they would still be tasty with less sweetener.
A recent commenter on the strawberry banana muffins said she used a Vita Mix to combine ingredients. I thought that was a great idea, especially since it usually takes a while to smooth out the coconut flour lumps. You could try that for this recipe, but remember to manually fold in your blueberries so they don’t get massacred.
I used about a cup of blueberries. You can judge for yourself based on how many you like in your muffins and the size of the berries you’re using.
Makes 9 or 10 muffins.
Paleo Muffins: Blueberry
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 to 1 cup blueberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Whisk together coconut flour and almond flour, flax seed meal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In another bowl, whisk together coconut oil, coconut milk, eggs, raw honey, and vanilla.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
- Whisk together until well combined.
- Fold in blueberries.
- Add to a lined muffin tin. I fill them up almost to the top because they don’t rise very much.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Tags: almond flour, blueberry muffins, breakfast, coconut flour, dairy free, gluten-free breakfast, gluten-free muffins, gluten-free recipe, muffins, paleo muffin recipe, paleo recipe, paleo-friendly recipe
Paleo Sweet Potato Pancakes
This recipe is similar to the other sweet potato pancake recipe I have on here. I have changed things up a little bit and added vanilla. Sweet potato pancakes offer a little taste of the holidays–only it’s April so the weather is better.
I like to use some melted Kerrygold butter, but it is optional. Kerrygold is grass-fed and imported from Ireland. I love the stuff.
I don’t usually use canned ingredients, but I had some Farmer’s Market organic sweet potato puree in the pantry. Their cans are BPA free and they don’t add anything. The sweet potato is only sweet potato, the pumpkin is only pumpkin. I’m not an affiliate, just a fan.
You don’t have to use canned sweet potato, though. Mashed works fine.
Monitor the heat. You might have to turn it down a bit because they take a little while to cook all the way through. You don’t want hockey pucks with a raw batter centers.
If you want to make the pancakes in advance or freeze the leftovers, use parchment paper to separate them so they don’t freeze together. This way you can take them out one at a time and reheat them without having a big frozen spot in the middle.
Paleo Sweet Potato Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or more if you like
- pinch of allspice
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (optional)
- 1/4 cup sweet potato puree or mashed sweet potato
Directions:
- Whisk together ingredients, one at a time.
- Heat skillet over medium to low heat. Use some extra butter or coconut oil in the skillet to keep from sticking.
- Spoon in the batter. Make the pancakes about 4 inches in diameter.
- Flip as you see fit.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, or fruit.
Tags: dairy free, dairy-free pancakes, gluten-free, gluten-free pancakes, gluten-free recipe, paleo pancakes, sweet potato, sweet potato pancakes
Paleo Strawberry Banana Muffins
So it’s getting to be about that time of year when organic strawberries are actually getting to be a reasonable price. Strawberries are one of those items that you really should get organic because the conventional type is high in pesticides and one of the dirty dozen. And it’s one of the few things that you can actually tell the difference in flavor when you compare it to conventional berries. Here in Florida it’s easy to get local berries, even in the grocery store, so that’s a bonus.
Our local grocery store started selling organic coconut milk. I was pleasantly surprised, but a little bit baffled when I saw that the price is actually about 75 cents less than the same brand’s conventional coconut milk. Hmmm . . . I think I’d better enjoy this while it lasts!
Strawberry and banana flavors go together so well, and the banana helps to make this muffin nice and moist. Even with the half-cup of coconut flour, they aren’t dry at all.
Strawberry Banana Paleo Muffin Batter
This recipe makes about 10 muffins.
Paleo Muffins: Strawberry Banana
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/2 cup diced strawberries
- 1 medium banana, mashed
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Whisk together coconut flour, almond flour, flax seed meal, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and honey.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, whisking a little at a time to combine well.
- Mash up the banana separately. Add it into the batter, then fold in the strawberries.
- Fill up lined muffin cups. You can fill them up close to the top because we’re not using conventional flour. They don’t rise very much.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Tags: almond flour, breakfast, coconut flour, coconut oil, flax seed, gluten-free, gluten-free breakfast, gluten-free muffins, gluten-free recipe, non-dairy, paleo-friendly, paleo-friendly recipe
Paleo Pumpkin Bread
Since pumpkins aren’t in season anymore, I’m using canned Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin. Not only is their pumpkin organic, but the cans are also lined with a BPA-free material. They have other products too, like sweet potato and butternut squash.
For a little variety, add 1/2 cup of chopped dried cranberries or chopped pecans. If you aren’t totally dairy-free, Kerrygold butter is delicious to use on this bread.
Prep Tips for Best Results
Try to take the eggs out of the fridge about an hour before you’re going to make this recipe. It helps to have them down to room temperature so that the coconut oil doesn’t solidify. When I forget to do this, I put the coconut oil in the microwave for about 15 or 20 seconds. This seems to help bring down the temperature of the eggs so that you don’t have big ol’ oil chunks in your batter. Don’t let it get too warm, though. We don’t want to cook the eggs!
Paleo Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, flax seed meal, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut oil, coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, honey, and pumpkin.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Keep whisking together to smooth out the big lumps.
- Spread the batter into a greased loaf pan. Shape with your spoon or spatula.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. Bread is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Tags: almond flour, coconut flour, coconut oil, fall recipe, flax seed, gluten-free, gluten-free bread, gluten-free bread recipe, gluten-free pumpkin, gluten-free recipe, non-dairy, paleo, paleo recipe, paleo-friendly, paleo-friendly recipe
Chocolatey Paleo Brownies
This Paleo brownie recipe is very similar to the chocolate cake recipe. With a few variations, it becomes more thick and moist, like you want in a brownie.
Prep Tips for Best Results
The melted chocolate chips and coconut oil combination should be cooled completely before adding it to the rest of the batter. If you follow the directions and do the melting first, it should be at a good temp by the time you’re finished mixing the other ingredients.
If you like peppermint, include the optional extract. It adds just a little taste for the chocolate peppermint fanatics.
You could also do the regular paleo brownie recipe and add a chocolate glaze, either the plain or peppermint variation. Spread it on top as you would an icing, and refrigerate for an hour or so until the glaze is hardened.
Paleo Brownie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint optional
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil over low heat. Also add the peppermint extract if you choose to use it. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, whisk together coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, and coconut milk.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk together until lumps disappear.
- Add cooled melted chocolate mixture. Stir until combined.
- Spread into a greased 9×9 pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
If you include dairy in your diet, whip up some heavy whipping cream. Add to it a teaspoon each of raw honey and vanilla, or to taste. Add a dollop of whipped cream and some shaved dark chocolate, and you will have a nice presentation!
Tags: brownies, chocolate, dairy free, gluten-free, gluten-free brownies, paleo brownie recipe, paleo-friendly
Coconut flour, coconut oil, and coconut milk are awesome replacements for conventional wheat and dairy products. Coconut ingredients provide a wide range of health benefits, and can be used for both cooking and baking.
Why Coconut Ingredients?
Coconut ingredients are great for paleo recipes. They provide an alternative to wheat, vegetable oils, and dairy products.
I use these coconut ingredients in almost everything. Here are a few specific brands that I use on a regular basis in the recipes on this site.
Coconut Flour
Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is a great wheat flour replacement if you balance it out with the right amount of eggs, oil, and milk. Otherwise, it can be pretty dry. I like to use it in different proportions to almond flour in order to get certain textures.
Let’s Do Organic Coconut Flour
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is another staple in my house. I use it for so many things–I even put it in my coffee. I know it sounds weird, but try it! It’s awesome.
It’s also great to put on cuts or to take as a supplement to avoid viruses and pathogenic bacteria. It has even been shown to effectively help people lose weight. But we’re talking about baking, so I won’t get too far off course, here!
Use coconut oil as a replacement for vegetable oils or butter.
Nature’s Way Organic Coconut Oil
Coconut Milk
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk really helps to balance out the texture of coconut flour. It adds moisture, and is a great alternative to regular milk. A lot of people use it in coffee, but I’m not a fan. It’s delicious in mashed sweet potatoes.
Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk
If you’re Paleo or avoiding gluten or dairy, coconut ingredients are great to always have on hand. They are so versatile and useful for many substitutions in regular recipes.
Tags: coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut oil
Paleo Pancakes with Chocolate Chips
One of my favorite treats before I went gluten-free was buttermilk pancakes.
I was pretty desperate to come up with a good replacement. My issue with most Paleo pancakes recipes is that they are usually too flat and dense. I like the puffiness of a good buttermilk pancake, along with a little bit of crispiness on the edges. The baking soda and apple cider vinegar help to make this happen.
As is true with all of the other recipes on this site, Paleo pancakes aren’t intended to be a daily treat. But, if you enjoy a healthy, real-food diet, they are a guilt-free indulgence to enjoy every so often.
Yes, that’s right. Free yourself of guilt and enjoy some pancakes.
Paleo pancakes are great without anything added, but if you want, you can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips, blueberries, raspberries, etc. Be creative . . . or not!
Paleo Pancakes: No-Milk Buttermilk
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (scant, or a little less)
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (optional)
- 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or other addition (optional)
- Butter or oil for the pan to prevent sticking
Directions:
- Add each ingredient one by one down the list, stirring with a whisk after each addition.
- Heat a pan over medium-low heat and add butter or oil to the pan.
- Watch carefully, and flip when the first side is done, then the second.
- Make sure they are cooked all the way through.
- Add butter and maple syrup or fruit, if you wish.
If you have leftovers, or if you want to make extras to save for later, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
Tags: almond flour, breakfast, coconut flour, coconut oil, gluten-free, gluten-free breakfast, gluten-free pancakes, gluten-free recipe, non-dairy, paleo, paleo pancakes, paleo recipe, paleo-friendly, paleo-friendly recipe
Paleo Apple Cranberry Bread
This Paleo apple cranberry bread is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. I made it a couple of times over the holidays, and it went over well.
Prep Tips for Best Results
Dice the apples finely. Shredding them in a food processor is another good option. You can use Granny Smith or another flavorful apple. Try to get organic, though, because they are on the Dirty Dozen.
When you spread the batter into the bread pan, use a rubber spatula to form the edges into more of a bread shape. The gluten in wheat flour helps other quick breads to rise a little bit more on their own. Since we’re going gluten-free here, we need to help it along.
If you can, try to find dried cranberries that don’t have any added sugar. Raisins could also be used in place of the cranberries.
If you’re the dairy-using type, Kerrygold butter, which is from grass-fed cows, is so very good on this bread.
You will probably like the next-day results even better, so try to make it one day ahead of time.
Diced Apples
Paleo Apple Cranberry Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup diced apple
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, flax seed meal, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and pecans.
- In a separate, large bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk together until well combined.
- Fold in the apple and dried cranberries.
- Spread into a greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool. If you do dairy, enjoy with some Kerrygold butter. Mmmmm . . .
Tags: almond flour, apple, coconut flour, coconut oil, flax seed, gluten-free bread, gluten-free bread recipe, gluten-free breakfast, gluten-free recipe, non-dairy, paleo, paleo apple cranberry bread recipe, paleo recipe, paleo-friendly, paleo-friendly recipe
Paleo Apple Bars
These Paleo apple bars are a gluten-free alternative to a conventional recipe that I used to like to make, back in the day. They are nice and light, and go great with coffee. I have made them for Paleo people and sugar-fiends alike, and they both gobbled them right up.
Paleo apple bars are more cakey and moist than the usual bar, but they are cut into squares. So, there you have it.
Prep Tips for Best Results
Be sure to dice the apple finely. I like to use Granny Smith or Gala apples. Always use organic apples because the conventional ones are high in pesticide residue.
You could use raw honey instead of the maple syrup, if you prefer. I tend to use either one or the other, depending on what I have on hand. There tends to be only a slight difference, but both are good.
You could also chop up about 1/3 cup of dried cranberries to your Paleo apple bars. Fold them into the batter with the diced apple.
Paleo Apple Bars with Cinnamon
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup finely diced apple
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, coconut milk, coconut oil, and vanilla.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
- Fold in the diced apple.
- Spread into a greased 9×9 pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Tags: apple, coconut oil, gluten-free, gluten-free dessert, gluten-free recipe, gluten-free snack, non-dairy, paleo, paleo apple bars, paleo recipe, paleo snack, paleo-friendly, paleo-friendly recipe
Paleo Sweet Potato Pancakes with Apples
These Paleo sweet potato pancakes passed The Toddler Test with flying colors. That’s always a good sign!
Prep Tips for Best Results
Peel a sweet potato and cut it into even pieces. Place the pieces into a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring it to a boil, lower the temperature a little bit, and let them cook for about 15 minutes. Pierce a piece with a fork to see if they’re done. If the fork goes in easily, then they’re ready. Don’t under cook them because chunks of sweet potato in your pancakes would just be gross.
Drain them, then mash. Measure out 1/4 cup to use for the recipe. Allow this portion to come to room temperature before using it in the pancakes.
With the rest of the sweet potato that you’re not using, add a little bit of coconut milk, butter or coconut oil, cinnamon, and a little bit of salt. Add a few raisins if you’re into that sort of thing. Save this part for lunch.
Paleo Sweet Potato Pancakes with Apples
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch allspice
- pinch nutmeg
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup coconut milk + 2 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup shredded apple (I used Granny Smith)
- 1/4 cup mashed sweet potato
Directions:
- Heat pan over medium-low heat. Melt either coconut oil or butter in the pan.
- Whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolk, coconut milk, coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
- Fold in apple and sweet potato.
- Spoon portions into heated pan. These pancakes will not bubble when done on one side. Keep an eye on them, and flip after several minutes.
- Cook thoroughly on both sides.
- Serve with maple syrup or butter. Enjoy!
Tags: breakfast, coconut flour, fall recipe, gluten-free, gluten-free breakfast, gluten-free pancakes, gluten-free recipe, non-dairy, paleo, paleo recipe, paleo-friendly, paleo-friendly recipe, pancake recipe, what is gluten-free