No Sugar, Paleo, Chocolate, Espresso, Nut-free, Keto-Cycling Protein Muffins
This is a recipe I have been working on for months, trying to come up with a guilt-free antioxidant and protein rich breakfast muffin. It came out of the time of year when the greens do not last long and so my go-to make ahead summer smoothie gagged me with the unmistakable aftertaste of rotting veg. Yep. Sorry for the disturbing imagery. Talk about April foolery. It was more disturbing to take a gulp and have to pull over to spew out the car door with the background sounds of bewildered and concerned little voices crying “mommy are you okay!?” At this point I should probably tell you that I am one of those queens of TMI and it is all or nothing with me.
I love beetroot, coffee and dark chocolate so this is a win for me. If you’re not a fan of beets you can sub with butternut squash or zucchini… but it won’t have that red velvety pop.
A note on sweetness if you haven’t figured it out already. I DO NOT HAVE A SWEET TOOTH. I prefer things less sweet and tend to gag if anything is overly sweet. So if you are a sweetie, I recommend adding a 1/4 cup of sukrin fiber gold syrup or more allulose. And if you wonder why I use so many different natural sweeteners; it is because each one comes with it’s own aftertaste when used in excess. I have taken to creating blends to have on hand for simplicity as each one brings up the sweetness in it’s own way, so together they culminate into an “all purpose” sugar of sorts.
Beetroot (beets) are chockers with phytonutrients and trimethylglycine (TMG) which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as fight cancer and detoxify the body. They are also high in lutein, which promotes eye health. This in concert with raw cacao and espresso makes for a great morning (or mid morning) pick me up. In essence, these muffins are jacked up.
So here is a healthy and completely justifiable chocolate muffin. You’re welcome.
Yields 12 Standard or 6 Jumbo Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup roasted & peeled beetroot (1-2)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 3/4 cup coconut kefir yogurt or milk kefir (can sub full fat coconut milk + 1 tsp cream of tartar)
- 3 free running farm-raised hen eggs OR psyllium husk, chia or flax “eggs”. (I prefer chia soaked in cold brew for an extra coffee punch)
- 10-15 drops liquid stevia
- 3/4 cup granulated natural sweetener: I use a blend of 1/2 cup allulose (anti-inflammatory sweetener extracted from figs) and 1/4 cup chicory fiber sweetener*
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract or paste
- 1/2 – 1 Tbsp finely ground espresso (leave out or use co2 or swiss water decaf if you are feeding to children)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or pink salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 cup (1 scoop) pea protein, arrowroot or collagen peptides powder
- 1/4 cup coconut flour (more or less depending on brand)
- 1/4 cup coffee or water (more or less depending on the thickness of your batter)
- 1/2 cup (350g) keto or paleo dark chocolate chips** plus more for the tops.
*You can sub 3/4 cup maple syrup if you don’t care about the sugar content… I will sometimes partially sub when I’m making them for other people.
**I use Lily’s stevia sweetened chocolate chips mostly because they are sugar free but at times I have used Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chips or Pascha 85% dark chocolate chips if I am making them for non-keto people.
Method:
Roast beetroot in a cast iron or sheet pan at 400ºF/200°C for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on size. Let cool a bit and then peel and discard the skins. Set aside the peeled beetroot for the blender. If you don’t have a blender, you can try grating it but the texture will be different.
Preheat oven to 350ºF/175°C
In a high powered blender add the beetroot and wet ingredients and blend until smooth.
Follow with dry ingredients and mix. Scrape down the sides and mix again.
I do this in a Vitamix but you can do it in a mixer or bowl if you reverse the order of ingredients: Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix. Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl and mix. Pour the wet into the dry and fold until combined.
I like to spray the muffin cups with a bit of coconut oil before I pour the batter in. Leave about a 1/4” or half a centimeter at the top to allow them to puff up.
Bake for 20 +/- minutes, depending on your oven. They are done when you can just tap one with a finger without making a depression.
Take out immediately and let cool.
Chocolate Espresso Super Muffins
Equipment
- Food Processor or High Powered Blender
- Cast Iron Pan
- oven
- Muffin Pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup roasted & peeled beetroot 1-2
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 3/4 cup coconut kefir yogurt or milk kefir can sub full fat coconut milk + 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 3 free running farm-raised hen eggs OR psyllium husk chia or flax “eggs”. (I prefer chia soaked in cold brew for an extra coffee punch)
- 10-15 drops liquid stevia
- 3/4 cup granulated natural sweetener: I use a blend of 1/2 cup allulose anti-inflammatory sweetener extracted from figs and 1/4 cup chicory fiber sweetener*
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract or paste
- 1/2-1 tbsp finely ground espresso leave out or use co2 or swiss water decaf if you are feeding to children
- 1/2 tsp sea salt or pink salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 cup 1 scoop pea protein, arrowroot or collagen peptides powder
- 1/4 cup coconut flour more or less depending on brand
- 1/4 cup coffee or water more or less depending on the thickness of your batter
- 1/2 cup 350g keto or paleo dark chocolate chips** plus more for the tops.
- *You can sub 3/4 cup maple syrup if you don’t care about the sugar content… I will sometimes partially sub when I’m making them for other people.
Instructions
- Roast beetroot in a cast iron or sheet pan at 400ºF/200°C for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on size. Let cool a bit and then peel and discard the skins. Set aside the peeled beetroot for the blender. If you don’t have a blender, you can try grating it but the texture will be different.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/175°C
- In a high powered blender add the beetroot and wet ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Follow with dry ingredients and mix. Scrape down the sides and mix again.
- I do this in a Vitamix but you can do it in a mixer or bowl if you reverse the order of ingredients: Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix. Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl and mix. Pour the wet into the dry and fold until combined.
- I like to spray the muffin cups with a bit of coconut oil before I pour the batter in. Leave about a 1/4” or half a centimeter at the top to allow them to puff up.
- Bake for 20 +/- minutes, depending on your oven. They are done when you can just tap one with a finger without making a depression.
- Take out immediately and let cool.
