Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Lemon Coconut Muffins (grain-free : GAPS : primal : gluten-free)

Fresh lemon zest imparts a wonderful lemony flavor that pairs well with the coconut flour.  These lemon muffins are the newest variation on my old standby recipe for coconut flour muffins.  Add a side of bacon or sausage, and breakfast is served!

Lemon Coconut Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

  1. Melt butter or coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly. 
  2. Meanwhile, combine the eggs, salt, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.  If using an immersion blender, pulse a few times to combine. Otherwise, mix to combine with a whisk or mixer.
  3. Add the honey to the butter (or coconut oil) and stir slightly.  Pour this mixture into the wet ingredients and blend well with immersion blender or mixer.
  4. Measure out the coconut flour.  Since coconut flour clumps, it will need to be sifted if you are not using an immersion blender.*
  5. Pour the coconut flour into the bowl with the wet ingredients.  Use an immersion blender or mixer to thoroughly combine all ingredients, making sure there are no lumps.  (Since coconut flour does not contain gluten, there is no worry of over-mixing it).
  6. Add the lemon zest, and stir or mix further with the immersion blender.
  7. Line a muffin tin with paper cups.  Scoop the muffin batter into the paper cups.  I like to use a 3-Tb scoop for this, but you could just use a large spoon.
  8. Bake muffins in 325 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes, until muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  If you are in a time-crunch, you could bake them at 350 degrees initially, but you'll need to reduce the heat after a bit so they won't burn before being set in the middle.
  9. Remove from oven and cool.  Delicious with a pat of butter and a big glass of raw milk or milk kefir!  Pair these muffins with bacon or eggs for a hearty meal.
Time-saving tips:
*If you use an immersion blender to combine the ingredients, you can skip the step of sifting the coconut flour.  This also gives you less dirty dishes!
**While you are at it, why not make a double batch of muffins and throw one dozen into the freezer?  It doesn't take much more time, and they will make a very easy breakfast for some other week.

18 comments:

Jill said...

These look awesome! Can't wait to make them!

Jill said...

Ok...I just have to say that these muffins are the bomb! I have made them twice now and they are so delicious and the lemon smell and flavor is amazing! Great texture too! Thanks for the great recipe--it's a keeper!

Sarah Smith said...

Great Jill! Thanks for letting me know!

Charisse said...

I added 2 Tb poppy seeds, and these are great. Thank you!

Laurie S said...

We've tried many flavor versions of coconut flour muffins, and these are my son's favorite. I've made them several times. (My favorite is your blueberry banana.) Thanks for posting!

Sarah Smith said...

That's great, Laurie! I'm glad you guys like 'em!

belfastibiker said...

Made them. They're a bit fragile, but yummy. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sarah,
I made these this morning, with slight tweaks...I didn't have fresh lemons, so I subbed a ts. of lemon oil. I also don't have a muffin pan, so I baked it as bread - 35 minutes cooked it perfectly! Thanks for such a great recipe! I would like to share your blog/recipe, with my tweaks, on my blog if you would give me permission...
...Kat (http://thegrainfreegoddess.wordpress.com/)

Sarah Smith said...

Go for it! It would be nice if you had some link back to the original recipe as well.

Megan said...

I have Frontier "Lemon Peel Granules" (and I only have 1 lemon). Could I use the lemon peel granules instead? How much do you think it'd require? Thanks!

Sarah Smith said...

I bet they'd work, but I have no idea how much to use. Maybe 1/2 tsp to sub per lemon?

Unknown said...

I made these with limes and they were awesome!!

GAPSFoodie said...

These are so tasty!!! Did anyone work out how many calories each muffin was?

Unknown said...

I figure about 170 calories per muffin, if you make a batch of 12 muffins. The my fitness pal app does all the math for ya! :)

Unknown said...

Made these several times .. They are awesome ... Making two dozen right now!!! Thanks so much

Sarah Smith said...

Fantastic Phil! Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad you like them!

stampmonkey said...

These muffins are delicious as is, but I've been adding frozen raspberries and they're every bit as tasty. I was wondering if you have any thoughts on subbing maple syrup for the honey?? I'm hoping to make the recipe more low-FODMAP friendly. Thanks!

Sarah Smith said...

I bet you could do a sub maple syrup instead of the honey. I would try it with a bit less (perhaps 1/3 cup) since syrup is so much sweeter than honey. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!