Whole30 Happy Muffin Recipe (Dipped in a Disclaimer)

Disclaimer (please read this first!):  When I sat down to write this post this morning, I should have been more thoughtful in my approach to sharing this portion of my Whole30 journey. So, for any of you seasoned Whole30 vets, my apologies to you and as well to any of you newbies out there, as it is not my intention to lead you astray.  The Whole 30 program emphasizes, in their menu planning/food restrictions, very specific reasons for not eating any baked goods such as pancakes or muffins while on the detox.  I have read those reasons and respect them completely.  However, this is MY journey, and I think it's worth sharing the REASONS why I made the choice to incorporate this muffin recipe into my meal routine.  That being said, if you are currently addicted to sweets of any kind, especially baked goods, do not make this a part of your Whole30 plan, stick with the recommended menu.

While detoxing is difficult, I as much as I hate the feelings that come from giving up certain foods, I also hate the feeling of a severe lack of appetite toward the foods I'm supposed to be eating.  Veggies, fruits and most meat proteins have never been a problem for me, but eggs and meat every morning for breakfast (no matter how I fixed them) were becoming very unappetizing, to the point of upsetting my stomach.  Here's where my mind-set shifted.  As a mother and a runner, I NEED fuel!! Two weeks into the detox, I was tired of waking up hungry yet struggling to find something that I could eat and enjoy. (In the book, they even recommend eating a hamburger pattie for breakfast - that just wasn't going to happen for me.) At that point, I was either going to quit the detox, or allow myself to create something new that I could eat from the Whole30 grocery list.  (All of the muffin ingredients are Whole30 approved.)

Making and eating the muffins not only kept me from quitting the detox, but they also helped me regain a palette for eggs and other proteins.  Please note that I always eat the muffins with some form of protein such as almond or cashew butter or a side of sausage or eggs, and I DO NOT eat them every day.  I also believe that the muffins give me the extra energy/carbs that I need to sustain my running schedule, which is awesome!!  I see that some people who have blogged about the detox drink fruit smoothies for breakfast with no protein.  The authors of the detox give also give reasons as to why that is not a good choice specifically for the breakfast meal, but smoothies arene't necessarily a "banned" food as my muffins are.  I don't agree with that logic at all, that's just my opinion, and you can take it for what it's worth.  I hope that sharing this recipe will help those of you who have had the same struggles as I have had in completing the detox (numerous athletes voiced on the Whole30 blog forum that they struggle to maintain their training schedule due to a lack of energy), without making you feel as though you have "cheated" on the journey.

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Twenty-three days ago, I dove head-long into a detox program called the Whole30 (if you would like to catch up on that business, just click here).  And, since my 30 day journey is about to come to an end (hallelujah), I thought I would begin sharing a few of the recipes that I've actually enjoyed eating, ones that have saved me from dietary despair, and my family from the side effects of mommy quitting chocolate cold turkey.

Photo Credit: funnyfoodphoto.com

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  It always has been.  But, it quickly became my least favorite meal during the detox, because there were so many things that I could not have - cereal, any type of baked good, peanut butter, yogurt, cream in the coffee etc, etc.  And, since I'm not a big meat eater, consuming a plate of greasy fried bacon or sausage wasn't going to happen.  That pretty much left eggs to work their magic on my morning mojo.  A little egg scramble with side of fruit? Not bad, not bad.  But, after about a week of that, just the thinking about eggs kicked my gag reflex where it counts.

So, I had to come up with a plan. It was either invent something that I could eat and enjoy, or saddle up my horse and ride it out of detox hell.  My first thought was to scour the internet for "Whole30" approved recipes, and after a little bit of searching, I found one for muffins. BAM!  I had all of the ingredients necessary to bake the muffins, but I thought the recipe seemed a little time-consuming.  After a few little tweaks here and there, I finally came up with the golden ticket.

Now, don't go expecting these to burst like bakery in your mouth. Remember - they have NO sugar in them (not even honey or agave!), and NO flour.  Because the detox had already heightened my sensitivity to anything sweet, and curbed my cravings for carbs, these were perfectly satisfying, healthy and yummy (in my humble opinion).  If you are a live the Paleo lifestyle and want to sweeten them up a bit with honey or agave, more flavor to ya!! I like to eat mine with a tablespoon of cashew butter slathered on top.  Or, if you can, go for the side of bacon and eggs.

Whole30 Happy Muffins
{Printable Version}

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed (you need a ripe one to give the muffin sweetness!)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) or walnut oil
3 Eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon (more or less, if you like)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (more or less, if you like)
1/4 tsp. salt
coconut oil to grease the muffin cups

Optional Mix-Ins:
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if you use frozen, add 1TBS more coconut flour to the mix).
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries and the zest of 1 lemon.
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries or apricots (use the kind without weird preservatives, like Eden  organic.) and the zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sliced almonds sprinkled on top before baking.

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the banana, applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt combining well.  Choose your optional "mix-ins" and stir just until combined.  Grease 12 muffin cups and evenly distribute the batter in each cup, spreading the tops so that they are even.  Place in a 375 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until done.  Let the muffins rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  For extra decadence, or if serving to guests, brush muffin tops with melted ghee while still warm. Let cool completely and enjoy!!