Winter Muffins (Gluten-free)

These winter muffins are made with coconut flour, which is probably the only flour I would recommend to anyone on a gluten-free diet. With celiac disease on my husband's side of the family, I am always researching ways to properly prepare grains in the event one of my children ends up with celiac as well. Our ancestors knew how to properly prepare grains in order to minimize the effects of gluten on their digestive systems. Properly preparing grains includes fermenting (sourdough), soaking and sprouting. I will do another blog post on why this is so important and how proper preparation actually results in baked goods that are tolerated by those with gluten sensitivities. It has even been shown that many with celiac disease are able to tolerate einkorn sourdough products! But this post is for those still looking to eliminate gluten from their diet.

Your standard gluten-free flour mixes are not the health superfood that they are advertised to be. If you read the ingredients closely you'll find items such as rice flour, xanthan gum, guar gum, cellulose, and synthetic vitamins. You may be asking yourself, what's wrong with these ingredients? Let's start by briefly discussing something called phytic acid, it is present in grains and legumes and is an "anti-nutrient" that blocks the absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and copper. However, when grains and legumes are properly prepared using the above techniques, the phytic acid is neutralized. So the rice flour present in your standard gluten-free flour mix has not been properly prepared and therefore should be avoided.

In addition, I would avoid alternative flours such as almond and oat flours for two reasons; glysophate and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAS). I will do a future blog post on the dangers of both glysophate and PUFAS, but in the meantime feel free to conduct your own research. I recommend checking out the Weston A. Price Foundation. They are a wealth of knowledge on nutrition based on the works of dentist Weston Price who traveled the world in the 1930's trying to understand why primitive cultures were so much healthier than the modern Westerners. Check out his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration for more information!

These winter muffins are made with coconut flour, which I recommend because it is low in phytic acid, has no added ingredients and has a decent nutritional makeup. I hope you enjoy, let's get baking!

Yield: 10 muffins

Prep: 10 min.

Bake: 18-20 min.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup organic coconut flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ginger

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 4 eggs

• 3/4 cup raw milk

• 1/4 cup grass fed butter, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots

• 1/2 cup raisins or any other dried fruit

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter or oil a muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Mix in the shredded carrots and dried fruit.

4. Spoon the batter (it will be thick) into your prepared muffin pan. Bake for 18-20 min, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 min. Enjoy!