At first glance, these tasty Gingerbread Nut muffins from the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox may not seem sufficient to stand alone as lunch, but once you try these jumbo-size, nut- and oil- rich muffins, you will appreciate how filling they are. And, because they are made with eggs, coconut oil, almonds, and other nuts and seeds, they are also very healthy. You can also add a schmear of cream cheese or a bit of unsweetened fruit butter for extra flavor. To fill out a lunch, add a chunk of cheese, some fresh berries or sliced fruit, or an avocado.
As with any Wheat Belly recipe in which one of our benign sweeteners is used, adjust the quantity of sweetener to your taste. The longer you are wheat- and grain-free, the more your perception of sweetness will be sharpened, making you more and more sensitive to less and less sweetener. While walnuts and pumpkin seeds are called for in this recipe to add crunch, you can substitute your choice of nut or seed, such as pecans, pistachios, or sunflower seeds.
- 4 cups almond meal/flour
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- Sweetener equivalent to ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup water
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Place paper liners in a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan or grease the cups with coconut or other oil.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond meal/flour, coconut, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sweetener, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Stir in the coconut oil, vanilla, and water. Pour the egg mixture into the almond meal mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
