Paleo/primal Cupcakes and Muffins

I was wondering around Borders the other day with the kids after they marked everything down 40%. The kids were looking at Legos and I was looking in the health section. I happened upon Elena Amsterdam's Gluten-Free Cupcakes book. I've loved Elana's pantry website forever and wanted the book, but wasn't really willing to pay full price for it. At 40% off, I put it in my cart!

I've been trying to think of things to put in my kids' lunchboxes that will get more protein and veggies into their diet. My son is not a big fan of meat and won't eat nuts; so this has the potential to become an issue when he starts eating lunch at school. I'm hoping that I can concoct a few different muffin recipes that include almond flour, cheese, fruits and/or veggies. Starting with Elana's recipes I think I may be able to make something that will work for both kids.

Today I went on a cupcake/muffin making frenzy and made 3 different kinds! I made a Banana Chocolate muffin that was by the recipe, then made a cheese muffin that was a little different and a coconut one that I changed significantly. I think the coconut was my favorite and I will definitely make that one again. The cheese muffin needs something and it has the potential to house many different veggies for school lunches; so I'll need to work on that one. Every recipe in the book looks great and includes healthy ingredients and minimal sugars.  She uses mostly Agave for her recipes, but I think fruit could be substituted to make them even healthier. So here are my modified recipes. Enjoy!

Cheese Muffins (Gluten Free, Primal)

1 1/4 C almond meal

1/4 C coconut flour

1/4 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

2 Eggs

3 T Coconut Oil melted

1.5 C shredded Cheese (I used Cheddar, but other kinds would be nice, too)

Mix flours, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Add eggs and oil and mix well. Fold in cheese then put 1 T of batter in a paper lined mini-muffin tin (use 1/4 C of mixture if making a regular sized muffin). Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes for mini muffins and 20 minutes for larger muffins. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Let muffins rest for 15 minutes before eating. Makes about 3 dozen mini muffins or 12 regular sized ones.

Coconut Cupcakes (Paleo, primal, gluten free and dairy free)

1/2 C Coconut flour

1/4 t salt

1 t baking soda

4 Eggs

1/2 C coconut oil

1/2 C unsweetened applesauce

2 T liquid sweetener of choice (maple syrup or honey are good choices)

1 T vanilla

1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut

Mix all ingredients except shredded coconut until well blended then fold in shredded coconut. put 1 T of batter in a paper lined mini-muffin tin (use 1/4 C of mixture if making a regular sized muffin). Bake at 350 for about 20minutes for mini muffins and 30 minutes for larger muffins. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Let muffins rest for 45 minutes before eating.  Makes about 3 dozen mini muffins or 12 regular sized ones.