I have a problem. I really like baked goods. Especially in the afternoon, anything sweet really, although fruit just hasn’t been cutting it lately. I need more. But when I eat too much processed food and sugar I sleep really badly; then I’m tired; and then I want more sugar in the afternoon to stay awake. It’s a sugary, circular battlefield. To solve this ‘problem’ (really I’m using that term in a pretty fast and loose way – my problem is on the pathetic side!) I’m trying to find low fructose, whole food solutions that are free of refined sugar to stop this cruel circle. Saving lives over here, solving world problems and the like haha.

I have been toying with a few muffin recipes for what feels like months now but none of them seemed perfect enough to share. Only my housemates should have to suffer my failed experiments! I wanted to create something that was full of whole food goodness, gluten free and tasted like a ‘normal’ muffin. This is what I’ve come up with. They’re even nut free for those of you that care! Chocolate and berries are one of my favourite combinations but I’ll be trying a coconut berry version of this in the near future too I’m sure. The texture of these is surprisingly light and fluffy. I tend to use frozen berries in this kind of recipe, because if you pop them in the mixture frozen they seem to hold their shape better through the bake. These muffins get bonus sugar craving curbing points thanks to the blood sugar levelling buckwheat, not to mention all the other wonderful antioxidants in the berries and cacao. I think I can go ahead and call them healthy 😉

Ingredients

1 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

1 tsp baking soda

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup rice malt syrup

3 Tbs maple syrup

3 Tbs milk

1 1/4 cup all natural Greek yoghurt

2 eggs

3 Tbs milk

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

2/3 cup mixed frozen berries

Topping

2 Tbs melted coconut oil

1.5 Tbs raw cacao powder

1 Tbs Rice malt syrup

Coconut flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius and grease and 12 cup muffin tin with coconut oil (or line)

2. Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cacao powder together in a medium bowl. Mix in coconut.

3. In a large bowl whisk milk, syrups, vanilla, yoghurt, oil and eggs together until well combined and smooth.

4. Gently fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Add frozen berries and mix through gently.

5. Divide evenly into prepared muffin tray.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until muffins spring back when you gently prod the tops. When cooked remove from oven and cool on oven rack.

7. Meanwhile mix together cacao, oil and syrup to make topping, drizzle over warm muffins and top with coconut flakes.

Enjoy.

HH. x