Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with Wholesome Sweeteners.
I’m so excited to share this new baking recipe that uses a new sugar alternative I think you’ll love! When talking to my clients about added sugars, we work on getting the sweet stuff out of their everyday staples like yogurt, cereal, and non-dairy milks and helping them get in touch with the delicious natural sweetness present in many foods. But what about when you want to enjoy a sweet treat?
There are lots of reasons to swap out refined sugar—and plenty of substitutes to choose from. However, they’re not all created equal. For example, honey and maple syrup are great but still may trigger a blood sugar and insulin spike in someone with diabetes. While they don’t cause a sharp sugar spike, many sugar alternatives like sugar alcohols can be rough on the digestive tract, and many people find the taste of subs like stevia unpleasant. There’s also a lot of variation in how these sugar alternatives perform in baking and cooking.
Wholesome Allulose is a new option that’s the perfect better-for-you sweetener. This brand new, groundbreaking product delivers full-sugar flavor without any bitterness or aftertaste. Wholesome is offering their allulose in granulated and liquid forms so you can choose whichever works best for you, and it’s Non-GMO Project Verified, Keto Certified, Gluten-Free, Vegan and Kosher. It was also given Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status by the FDA.
Allulose is a rare sugar that’s actually naturally found in figs, raisins and kiwi, and you won’t get any added fillers or sugar alcohols. It also has zero calories, zero net carbs, and has zero glycemic impact (meaning it won’t spike your blood sugar), so it’s suitable for those watching calories, sugar or carbs in their diet or are just looking for a natural alternative to sugar.
What I love about it is that it behaves just like sugar in baking and cooking so you don’t have to do any complicated math to figure out how to adjust recipe ratios or worry about problems with texture or crystals sinking to the bottom of a liquid.
For my clients with dietary restrictions like needing to be on a gluten-free diet or who need to be mindful of carb intake, it can be challenging to come up with special occasion foods to suit their needs that the whole family can enjoy. This muffin recipe is perfect for a holiday morning or as a weekend treat.
These muffins are the perfect solution. They’re delicious and substantial enough to be filling without being heavy, thanks to the addition of chia seeds and ground flax, which also help with binding so you don’t have to add xanthan gum, which is often recommended in gluten-free baking to ensure the recipe stays together. To up the protein and add moisture I used Greek yogurt and introduced healthy fats by using avocado oil instead of butter. Wild blueberries add more fiber and some antioxidants. Enjoy them fresh from the oven spread with ghee or your favorite nut or seed butter for a satisfying breakfast that tastes way more decadent than it is!
Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Chia Seed Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free baking flour
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup Wholesome Allulose
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup avocado oil
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1-2 teaspoons Lemon zest (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins or grease with avocado oil spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, ground flax, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, yogurt, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest (if using), and vanilla.
- Add the wet to the dry ingredients, mixing until combined but not over-mixing.
- Fold in the blueberries and chia seeds.
- Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin tins, filling about ¾ of the way.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
- Allow muffins to cool for at least 5 minutes before enjoying or transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container, ideally in the fridge is you want them to last longer. These also freeze well when frozen in an airtight container like a Ziplock bag.
Nutrition information per muffin: 200 calories, 5 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat (7 grams monounsaturated, 4 grams polyunsaturated, 2 grams saturated), 16 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of fiber, 0 grams of added sugar
