Gluten Free?
Gluten free diet is becoming more and more popular in the U.S. While some people have a very valid reason to be gluten free–15% of Americans have some form of gluten intolerance, ranging from mild reactions to gluten food to those with Celiac disease, the rest of us can still enjoy delicious wheat products. However, it is always a great idea to expend our food repertoire, and the tastier the foods to do it with, the more enjoyable it becomes. I am about to share one delicious sugar and gluten free recipe with you that will make GF living enjoyable, but before I do, I want to quickly touch on who should be following a gluten free diet.
Who should be Gluten Free?
Before giving up on healthful grains, such as wheat, barley and rye, especially if you have been influenced by the low-carb diet movement, you should get properly diagnosed with gluten intolerance. There are some people who are gluten sensitive, but might not have a full-blown Celiac. Their might experience various reactions, such as bloating, eczema, skin rashes, etc. They should start by cleaning up their diets overall, to see if their allergies don’t clear up. Often times, that is a possibility.
Currently, however, as a result of low-carb evangelizing, there has been a disturbing trend, particularly among “holistic” doctors and health practitioners–over-diagnosis of food allergies and intolerances, with gluten intolerance being one of them. There are also some people who self-diagnose, often having read one of the grain bashing books.
While some people absolutely must stay away from gluten (those mentioned earlier and those suffering with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism), the number is pretty low–15% of the U.S. population. Many patients are often being misdiagnosed with gluten intolerance, resulting in being forced to overly restrictive diets and expensive treatments. Such over-diagnosis, however, does not come without a price in more than one way–it often distracts from the real issue–poor diet and lifestyle choices.
As I mentioned earlier, however, whether you really must be gluten free to stay healthy or you want to expand your cooking repertoire, there are delicious ways to do it. This is one gluten free recipe that will keep you satisfied.
Gluten Free Almond Raspberry Muffins Recipe
yields 10-12 muffins
they do taste as good as they look
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea or Himalayan salt (optional)
- 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup liquid plant sweetener of your choice or honey (non-vegan option)
- 1 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 2 tsp egg replacer*
*I forgot to add egg replacer into my muffins today, they still turned out fabulous, but a bit crumbly
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375 F
- Line muffin tin with muffin cups
- Combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, egg replacer and cinnamon
- Add vanilla, honey, apple sauce and gently fold in
- Stir in raspberries
- Evenly fill each baking cup
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown
- Cool off for at least 10-15 minutes before serving
- Enjoy!
These are not wheat muffins, so, they will end up being moist and a little crumbly in the beginning. Give them time to cool off, so they hold their shape.
Perfect for Kids
I baked these muffins for Sprout’s first birthday. She fell in love with them, eating two of them immediately, and I was at peace, knowing that every ingredient in the recipe was safe for her little healthy body.
Share!
Make these muffins, take a picture and come back to post your creations under this article.
Share this recipe with others–Pin it, Facebook, email or Tweet it. This is a delicious and a healthy gluten free dessert, so, let’s make this world a healthier place together, one bite at a time.
