This Paleo Muffin Recipe is the perfect way to start your kid's school day (or yours)! Filled with healthy proteins and fats, they're so satisfying!
Today is the start of the school year for kids in Austin! That means moms and dads everywhere are crazily packing lunches and getting their kids fueled and off for a busy day at school. My Very Berry Muffins are a great way to start their day!
Other than lunch, which is probably our number one what to eat question, breakfast comes next. People are constantly looking for healthy, whole food breakfasts that they can prep ahead because making breakfast each morning is H.A.R.D! I cannot wait to share this Very Berry Muffin recipe with you!
My Very Berry Muffins recipe is filled with eggs, almond butter, flax meal, and coconut oil to fuel your body with healthy proteins and fats. The berries are low glycemic so they are processed more easily and berries are also filled with tons of antioxidants. Serve your kiddo 2 muffins and they are good to go until lunchtime! If you have time to eat at home, a side of bacon is great. If not, that's okay too, these muffins are perfect for grab and go!
If you don't have a muffin tin you love yet, check out this one from Nordic Ware, so beautiful and functional.
If you make a double batch, store the extra batch of Very Berry Muffins in the freezer for later use. Grab a couple muffins from the freezer…a simple few seconds in a microwave or few minutes in a toaster oven and viola!
Very Berry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 banana very ripe
- 5 lg eggs
- 1/2 c almond butter
- 1 c ground flax meal (like Bob's Red Mill brand)
- 1 T baking powder
- 4 T honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 T cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 c coconut oil
- Parchment muffin liners optional
- 1/2 pint blueberries
- 1/2 pint raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the following (banana through water) until well combined: - 1 very ripe medium banana - 5 large eggs, room temperature - ½c almond butter - 1c ground flax meal/seeds - 1T baking powder - 4T honey - 2tsp vanilla extract - 1T cinnamon - ½tsp salt - 1/3c coconut oil, melted - ¼c water
- Grease a muffin pan or line w/ parchment liners. Fill ~3/4 the way full (these will not rise much).
- Evenly distribute ½ pint blueberries + ½ pint raspberries into the muffin batter.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 F or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
What are the nutritional benefits of this Paleo Muffin Recipe?
Unlike traditional baked goods, these Paleo muffins are loaded with nutrients! Here are some of the highlights:
- Banana: You've likely heard that bananas have potassium but did you know that they're also a great source of vitamin B6, manganese and vitamin C? Bananas also have a lot of fiber, which is good for healthy digestion.
- Eggs: An egg contains 7 grams of protein and is full of lutein (good for your eyes) and choline (good for your brain).
- Almond Butter: High in magnesium, vitamin E and potassium, almonds are good for your heart and also help lower LDL cholesterol. One serving of almonds also has as much calcium as 1/4 cup of milk!
- Flax: Flax seeds are full of omega 3s, fiber and antioxidants. Because of these vital nutrients, flax may help reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and even hot flashes!
- Honey: Honey has antibacterial and antioxidant properties, which are strongest in darker honey. Buy raw local honey when possible as filtering the honey can diminish its nutrients.
- Cinnamon: Frequently used in traditional medicine, cinnamon is good for your heart and also may help stabilize blood sugar. Research also suggests that cinnamon may help lower cholesterol.
- Coconut Oil: Coconuts provide copper, iron and selenium. They're also very high in manganese, which is beneficial for metabolism and bone health.
- Blueberries: Arguably one of the healthiest foods in the world, blueberries are packed with fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and antioxidants. Pro tip – wild blueberries are even higher in some antioxidants, look for them in the frozen section!
- Raspberries: One cup of raspberries has over 50% of your daily vitamin c needs. Raspberries are also high in antioxidants.
Want even more muffin recipe ideas? Try my Butternut Squash Muffins (you can sub pumpkin too) and Banana Nut Muffins. Both are gluten free, paleo, and freezer friendly too.
What are some variations on these gluten free blueberry muffins?
I would argue that our Very Berry Muffins are already a bit of a variation from a gluten free blueberry muffin! It sounds simple, but really just the addition of raspberries gives them a more complex flavor.
Still, there are certainly other ways you can easily mix it up with this Paleo muffin recipe! The easiest is of course to vary the fruit based on season.
If you're in the thick of summer when berries are so irresistible, stick with any combination of berries you like, chopping any large berries like strawberries into smaller pieces. Chopped peaches would also be a delicious add-in in the summertime!
In the fall or winter, diced apples or pears are perfect to replace the berries.
Chopped strawberries or cherries make a perfect late spring addition to the muffins.
Changing the fruit you use by the season will allow you to make these delicious healthy muffins all year, without compromising on flavor.
Can I use frozen berries for these muffins?
You can use frozen berries here, but it takes a little extra work.
The potential issue with using frozen berries in muffins is that the color can bleed, dying your whole muffin pink or even green. This may not really impact the taste, but it can look a little off-putting.
The normal solution is to toss the unthawed berries in flour to keep the color from bleeding.
BUT if you want to keep these paleo, you may not want to do that. You can try tossing the frozen berries in a bit of almond flour to prevent color bleeding, or rinse the berries until the liquid runs mostly clear and dry them thoroughly.
The other key to using frozen berries in muffins is to gently fold them in, only as much as necessary. Over-mixing will cause the color to bleed no matter what else you do.
How can I prep this Paleo muffin recipe ahead?
One of my favorite things about baking healthy muffins is how well they freeze!
If you bake a dozen muffins, your family likely won't eat them all when they're still at peak freshness. So why not freeze them instead of letting them get stale?
The key is to flash freeze. Let your muffins completely cool (this step is important!) and then place on a clean baking sheet in your freezer. Let them freeze completely before placing in a freezer safe bag or container, or wrapping individually and storing in the freezer.
Want to know my other tip for delicious frozen muffins? Re-heat them in the oven! You may not have time to do this if you're sending your kid off to school in the morning, but if you're prepping these muffins for a weekend brunch or a special holiday, it is 100% worth the effort. Simply re-heat the muffins in a 350 F oven for 10-12 minutes. Cover them in foil or check regularly to prevent burning.
Not only does this give the reheated muffins a wonderful texture, it fills your home with the smell of fresh baked goods and who doesn't love that?
What are some other Paleo breakfast recipes?
Paleo Oatmeal Recipe w/ Coconut & Flax
You can also get our FREE Freezer Breakfast download here!
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