Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffins

Name: Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 eggs; 30 g butter, well softened (or coconut oil or olive oil); 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup or sugar); 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp vanilla essence (or ⅛ tsp almond extract); 40 g coconut flour; 100 g blueberries, fresh or frozen

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These delicious coconut flour blueberry muffins are gluten free, and low in sugar. They are also simple and satisfying, and you can whip up a batch in just a few minutes.

What makes these blueberry muffins healthy?

Low in sugar
Most supermarket muffins contain a lot of sugar - I've just checked the label on a pack of supermarket blueberry muffins, and one muffin contains 20% of an adults recommended sugar intake. This healthy blueberry muffin recipe contains just 1 teaspoon of honey per muffin. (Take a look at this post on how to eat less sugar if that is one of your health goals.) The lower levels of sugar also means that these muffins are lower in carbohydrate
Higher in protein
The combination of coconut flour and eggs means that this muffin recipe is higher in protein than most. Protein helps with blood sugar control, and will help you to feel fuller for longer. These coconut flour blueberry muffins are an ideal start to the day, or a great healthy snack to keep you going
High in fibre and gluten free
These coconut flour muffins are naturally gluten free. Many gluten free baked goods are made with low fibre, refined flours. But coconut flour is much higher in fibre than wheat flour, meaning that these muffins are both gluten free and higher in fibre. Fibre is great at helping you to feel fuller, and it also benefits your digestion and heart health
Zero additives
In order to extend their shelf life, many bought muffins are packed with additives. Homemade muffins are much more natural.
Low in calories Lower levels of fat and sugar mean that these lovely little muffins have just 125 calories each:)

Baking with coconut flour

I avoided using coconut flour for years, thinking it would give my baking a strong coconut taste. But surprisingly, it doesn't. Coconut flour has a slightly sweet taste, and a texture more like ground almonds. That makes it perfect for baked goods such as these coconut flour blueberry muffins.

It's important to note that coconut flour is very different to wheat flour, and cannot be substituted in most recipes. It is very absorbent, and you use only a small amount. For that reason, it is important to weigh out the coconut flour for this recipe very carefully. A little too much, and you will end up with a very stodgy batter. (If that does happen, thin the mixture down slightly with some milk) Although coconut flour seems rather expensive, a small bag will last quite a while.

Coconut flour is naturally gluten free. But it is packed with fibre, which helps to feed beneficial gut bacteria, making it very good for your digestion. This link has more information about the health benefits of coconut flour.

Coconut is nut free as it does not contain the same proteins as true nuts.

I'd suggest that you store coconut flour in the fridge. I have had a problem with it going rancid when stored at room temperature before, and it'll keep much better in the fridge. You can also freeze it if you've got a large bag.

Ingredients

Coconut flour. You'll also need a little baking powder to give a fluffier texture.

Eggs. There's quite a large volume of eggs in this recipe, so I wouldn't recommend using an egg replacer.

I used butter for these muffins, but if you prefer you could substitute coconut oil or olive oil. The butter needs to be very soft for this recipe. If it's not, cut it into cubes and place it in a bowl of lukewarm water for a few minutes.

Honey adds a lovely flavour to these muffins, but feel free to use the same amount of maple syrup or sugar if you prefer. If you are using a set honey, you might need to warm it slightly so that it mixes in easily.

Vanilla or almond extract. I love the flavour of almond and blueberry, so I like to use almond extract. But if you want these to be nut free (or don't like the flavour) then vanilla extract will work very well.

You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to defrost them). If you are using frozen blueberries, you'll probably find the colour runs out of them slightly, so your muffins might be purplish in colour. Or of course you could substitute them with other fruit such as raspberries.

How to make coconut flour muffins

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).

Whisk the eggs, butter, honey and vanilla or almond extract in a large bowl. Whisk until well mixed and frothy. You can either use an electric mixer or a hand whisk.

Add the coconut flour and baking powder and mix well. The coconut flour takes a minute or so to be absorbed, and then it will thicken. Don't be tempted to add extra!

Stir in the blueberries. Line a muffin tray with 6 paper cases, and divide the mixture between them. Roughly level the mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes. The muffins should be golden and set and slightly springy. Cool on a wire rack.

Storing and freezing

Coconut flour blueberry muffins will store well in an airtight container for 2 or 3 days. They also freeze well, although in my experience they tend to stick more to the paper cases after freezing.

FAQs

How healthy is coconut flour?

Compared to many gluten free flours, coconut flour is higher in protein and fibre. It also contains vitamins and minerals including potassium and iron.

Does coconut flour taste like coconuts?

No, it doesn't! Coconut flour has a mildly sweet flavour which is why is works so well in baked goods such as muffins. But its flavour is nothing like other coconut products such as desiccated coconut.

Can you replace flour with coconut flour?

No, it's best to use a recipe which has been specifically developed to use coconut flour.

Other healthy muffins you might like

All of these muffins are gluten free and low in sugar.

Healthy breakfast muffins are made with cooked quinoa. These apple muffins, carrot and cardamom muffins and blackberry oatmeal muffins are all made with oats, and these chocolate muffins are made with coconut flour.

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a rating and/or comment at the bottom of the page. Your feedback and questions are much appreciated.
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