Sarah’s Rap: I have to fess up. I have a major addiction. Well… two addictions. Okay, okay, maybe a few more than two, but that’s all I’m going to fess up to now! What two you ask? Well, chocolate is one and muffins are the other. I love them both dearly and these are two things I cannot give up.

Now that I eat a Paleo diet out of necessity, my muffin recipes have changed, but they are close to consistency and flavor of traditional muffins and I find them incredibly satisfying.  I recently developed this recipe for Paleo Chocolate (Carob) Muffins and am eager to share it! 

If you can’t eat chocolate, don’t worry! You can substitute carob powder for the cocoa powder, which I often do as it makes a sweeter muffin. When I do this, I omit the stevia/maple syrup. According to “The Paleo Mom”, Dr Sarah Ballantyne, on her website,  carob can be consumed in moderation by those following an autoimmune protocol (AIP), which I find makes me feel best (note, I can tolerate eggs so this recipe is not strict AIP) So although I occasionally do make this with chocolate, I find substituting with carob powder is very close in flavor, particularly when made with “toasted carob” powder.

I hope you enjoy this treat! I am currently vacationing in NYC with my family and am so glad that I packed some of these muffins, frozen, in my luggage. They’ve been perfect for those times when I crave a sweet treat or alongside a breakfast of coffee, eggs and paleo-friendly meats. So, without further ado, here’s the recipe…

Paleo Chocolate (or Carob) Muffins

• 3/4 cup butternut squash puree
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid stevia (or 1/2 cup maple syrup)
• 1/3 cup arrowroot flour
• 2/3 cup coconut flour (plus an additional 2 Tablespoons if used maple syrup)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or 3/4 cup toasted carob powder)
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking soda
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups or grease the bottoms with coconut oil.

 

In a small bowl, mix arrowroot flour, coconut flour, unsweetened cocoa (or carob) powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Blend well, breaking up any lumps. Set aside.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the butternut squash puree, eggs, melted coconut oil, vanilla and stevia/maple syrup, if using. Add dry ingredients and blend with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until combined.

 

I prefer to put muffin batter in the muffin cups with a scoop like this one, but you can also spoon it in. Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake muffins at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes in pan, but then remove to wire rack to cool further.

 

Yields: 12 muffins

 

 

To take them to the next level, top these with a dollop of whipped vanilla coconut cream.

(recipe updated 1/31/18)

~ Sarah