Baked Goods, Breakfast, Food, Recipes

Paleo Apple Muffins

I woke up the other morning and groggily asked John what he wanted for breakfast and he mumbled something about the usual eggs and I mumbled back that I really wanted muffins.  John laughed at my silliness, because where the heck was I going to come up with muffins?  So I stumbled to the kitchen and while still bleary eyed and half asleep, I mixed up these most amazing muffins and ate them feeling guilty, although I had no need to feel guilt at all….  So, I’ll share the recipe with you and hope that you feel a bit guilty too; because then I’ll know they are as good as I experienced them to be.

Paleo Apple Muffins

Author Sarah Fragoso

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups almond meal
  • 4 omega 3 enriched eggs
  • 1 organic apple finely chopped
  • 1 overripe banana
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 heaping tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.  As pictured, have a two year old attack and kill an apple while you peel the banana and using a fork, mash the banana in the bottom of a large mixing bowl.  Using a hand held chopper if you have one, finely chop the freshly killed apple, and add to the bowl.  Add all other ingredients and mix by hand.  The batter will not be super thick, but more like a cake batter.  Using a bit more coconut oil, grease a muffin tin.  Fill the tins about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 15-17 minutes.  You will know they are done when you can insert a toothpick into the middle of a muffin and it comes out clean.  Serve hot out of the oven with some ghee melted on top, accompanied by eggs over-easy, and hot black coffee. If you eat them all at once, don't blame me...  Makes approximately 16 muffins.

Enjoy!!

 

Sarah Fragoso

Sarah Fragoso is an international best selling author of 6 books, co-owner of the Chico, CA based gym JS Strength and Conditioning, and founder of the Everyday Paleo franchise. Sarah is the co-host of the popular Sarah and Dr. Brooke Show podcast and she also conducts workshops and retreats on the subjects of nutrition, lifestyle and fitness.

Her message is from the heart and she carries a genuine desire to help other families looking for guidance. These attributes have contributed to her successes and provide the drive to keep the discoveries coming.

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171 Comments

  1. Kathleen says:

    These muffins turned out great! What a perfect snack for the kids…thanks for sharing!

  2. This looks delicious! I’m going to be making these the next chance I get! Thanks for sharing.

  3. Claudia says:

    Will try those for sure! Meanwhile, you might want to try these for your next guilt-free muffin attack: Banana Blueberry Muffins. I got them from Elana Amsterdam’s Almond Flour Cookbook and they’re yum (plus an excellent way to get rid of a bunch of very ripe bananas). Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease the muffin cups with olive oil (I use a light one). Take 3 cups of blanched almond flour, add 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1.5 tsp baking soda, and mix. Whisk 2 tablespoons of oil together with 3 large eggs and combine with the almond flour mixture. Stir 2 cups (4 to 5) mashed, very ripe bananas into the batter, and add 1 cup of frozen blueberries. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve (either warm or not, whatever you prefer). When I have an off-day and need some soothing sweetness, I add a few tablespoons of honey to give them that little extra, but they’re great without it too. Enjoy!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Claudia,
      Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I think I’ll try it this weekend!

  4. Both of these recipes sound delish! Muffins are one of those foods that I always want to eat, but I haven’t in a million years because of the sugar/gluten thing…Thanks for sharing…I’m totally gonna feel guilty this weekend stuffing my face muffins.

  5. Miss Teacha says:

    sounds really good! I can’t wait to try it after my 30 days.

  6. Tracey says:

    Wow,these look so easy to make! BTW: Do you get the almond flour at Trader Joes?

  7. Made these with just a few changes – I didn’t have banana so I used 2 shredded apples; or baking soda (used powder) but they were still AWEsome. I am thinking they would be great as a carrot cake if I used shredded carrot instead of the apple. Would you change anything else in the recipe if making them into carrot cake? Nutmeg or cloves perhaps? Extra sweetener? Thank you so much for my new favorite treat! 🙂

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Melissa,
      I love the carrot cake idea! I would add nutmeg and a touch of cloves, maybe even a bit of ground ginger! I personally am really trying to stay away from anything sugar related these days but of course they would be great if you added some raw organic honey. ; ) Or, if you add more finely chopped apples, I bet it would make them sweeter. If you make them, let me know how they turn out!

  8. Katie says:

    I cannot wait to try these!! Miss you girl, Hope all is well girlie! Lil Rowan is adorable)

    1. Sarah says:

      Katie!! I miss you too! Can’t wait to see you when you get back!! : )

  9. I have been craving muffins lately as well! This looks like a great recipe and Im thinking I might just have to execute them tonight for breakfast tomorrow morning! Thanks for shareing and we are glad you are up and running again.

  10. Theo says:

    I tried your recipe!
    You have done it again! =)

    It is really good, but were yours kinda sweet at all?
    Mine were good. I could taste the apple, banana, and cinnamon…but it wasn’t sweet.

    Great job nonetheless!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hey Theo,
      I wouldn’t call them “sweet” but because I rarely eat anything sweet besides fruit, they tasted like a treat to me!

  11. Shelley says:

    I can’t get coconut oil anywhere. Do you think this would work with almond oil?

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Shelley! I think almond oil would work just fine!

  12. Steph says:

    I’m new to Paleo but in a comment earlier someone said they would try this recipe after their 30 days… am I missing something? Looking at this recipe I thought everything looked “legal”. Is there something in here that wouldn’t be recommended in the 30 day challenge?
    Thanks!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hey Steph! I think that maybe this person is also watching fat intake to lean out so maybe that’s why…

    2. Shannon Cook says:

      I believe they were referring to the Whole30. The website whole30.com has the details if you want to check it out but that sounds like what they are referring to.

  13. Meaghan says:

    Hi Sarah,

    I just found your blog and am very excited to see all the possibilities with paleo food (especially cooking for a family), as I often get into a rut. I’m interested in trying your muffins, but I was wondering if you know anything about the nutrition information on these babies. I try to be conscious of the insulin response (I”m a big fan of Mark Sisson’s primal eating) during meals and would be interested in knowing the carb/protein/fat content. Or, for example, would you say one muffin is equivalent to the amount of carbs in one piece of fruit such as an apple of banana? Let me know if you can. Thanks!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Meaghan!
      I have not figured out the exact carb/protein/fat content of these muffins but there is only one apple and one banana in the entire batch of muffins to eating one muffin would not be equivalent to the amount of carbs in a piece of fruit. These are high in fat being that they are really only made from almond meal, and when I do make these I only eat one and always with some protein – and if you are trying to lean out I wouldn’t make these muffins a staple in your diet. I hope this helps! : )
      Sarah

  14. Meaghan says:

    Thanks for your quick response, Sarah! I’m sure I’ll have more questions as I peruse your site more.

  15. This is such a great resource. Many of my clients (and myself) are always looking for ways to duplicate whole grain snacks without having the effects of elevated glucose levels.
    For anyone reading, don’t be overly concerned with the macronutrient break down of this recipe. The fat source comes from the almond meal, and all the carbs are fruit based, so they will not cause a drastic insulin response.
    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Sarah says:

      Thanks Personal Trainer VA – I’m excited that you will be able to use my blog to help your clients, very cool! : )

  16. Jeannette says:

    These were great! I don’t follow a strict paleo diet, but I like to try new recipes, and I have friends who are paleo. I did change the recipe just a bit. I used only 3 eggs, 1 cup of unsweetened organic applesauce instead of the banana, and 1/4 cup of coconut butter instead of the coconut oil and didn’t add the water. I found that I had to bake my muffins for 30 minutes, as well. But anyway, thanks for sharing the great recipe! My family and I really enjoyed these muffins! 🙂

  17. Jeannette says:

    oops…I meant 1/2 cup of applesauce. Not 1 cup! Sorry!

  18. Theo says:

    Hey Sarah

    So this is my 3rd time making them, and I think this is my best batch! =)
    Everyone is surprised when I tell them, what its made out of. I just won’t tell them how I did it. LOL.

    They taste great w/ a bit of Sunflower Butter on top.

    Have a nice day!

    T H E O

    1. Sarah says:

      Hey Theo! Glad you like the muffins – I’ll try them next time with the sunflower butter – do you get yours at Traders?

  19. I’ve made these several times now. I’ve made them into carrot cake muffins with and without cream cheese/butter cream frosting (splenda or stevia) and they were a huge success. I made a batch of these with lots of red delicious apples and they came out super sweet – almost like my favorite donut (apple fritter). I’m back for another round. This time I’m going to make a pumpkin muffin since I can’t find red delicious apples to save my life right now. LOL. This is my all-time favorite muffin recipe. Thanks so much for posting it. 😀

  20. patience says:

    Great recipe! I used olive oil because I didn’t have coconut oil on hand and doubled the cinnamon. I also replaced 1/2 C of the almond meal for ground flax meal. I can’t wait to try them again with some of the other change options listed…. particularly adding more apples in hopes for an apple fritter type treat.

  21. BK Lawson says:

    Going to have to try to modify this for fresh pumpkin!
    Looks great!
    I love the pictures of the 2 yo. chef!

  22. I’m wondering if anyone has a good substitute for eggs in a recipe like this one. I have severe gluten sensitivity and many, many attendant food allergies, including eggs. Bummer. All ingredients would work for me except the eggs.

    Thanks!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hey Kim,
      Check out my most recent post – it has a cookie recipe that is similar to the muffin recipe but made with almond butter and no eggs!

  23. Stacy says:

    Hi everybody! I was wondering if you got that pumpkin muffin nailed down. Also, I was wondering what coconut or almond flour is. Are those allowed in the WHOLE30?

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Stacey,
      I have not yet made the muffins with added pumpkin but I think it would be super easy to do – in fact – the nutty cookie recipe that I just put up on my last blog post I made again last night and added 1/2 a can of organic unsweetened pumpkin and only used 1 banana and they turned out great! Coconut flour is just dried coconut ground into flour and almond flour is just almonds ground really fine – into flour like consistency, and yes, you can make your own almond flour in a food processor. These items are paleo friendly but if you are trying to lean out or are on a 30 day challenge, I wouldn’t recommend eating a ton of this sort of thing- they are really calorie dense. A good treat for sure and great for kids – but probably shouldn’t be what you sustain yourself on throughout the day. : )

  24. Stacy says:

    Hi I was also wondering if it is possible to make your own almond meal…

  25. Yvette says:

    So baking soda is Paleo friendly? We are doing a “Paleo Challenge” at my CrossFit gym and a very similar recipe was shared but it did not have baking soda. I simiply assumed it was not Paleo friendly.

    Side note: YOU HAVE AN AWESOME SITE!! I get so excited visiting this site for quick easy Paleo recipes. It makes staying on this healthly eating path so much easier.

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Yvette! Yes, baking soda is fine! Thanks so much – I’m so glad you are enjoying my site – comments like yours keep me motivated to keep it going! Good luck with the challenge, let me know how it goes!

  26. Stacy says:

    Hi Sarah,
    Thank you for replying so quickly! I am doing the Whole30 and am trying to lean out. I am 8 days in and feeling great!! I have been including my meat, mostly veggies, and fat into every meal. You are lean and I was wondering if you have any advice for getting that way after kids. I have two kids and my stomach isn’t what it used to be even after losing weight. People say I look great, but being a person who loves Crossfit, I want to not only feel good but I want to lean out and want to look better than normal. I feel great and I but I am a Crossfitter and love to workout. I am hoping that this will help me lean out. Any suggestions on how to lean out? I love those before and after pics of that lady on your CF section and she looks great!!! She looks good before, but it looks like she wanted to take it a step further to really look great and that is me. Anyway, i’m babbling so if you get a chance, let me know if you have any advice!
    Thanks for letting me know about the almond flour and coconut flour. I don’t plan on making it a meal, but it would be nice to have a little “treat.”

    1. Sarah says:

      Stacey – sorry I should answer all your questions in one response but the way I go through them, I notice one at a time! Anyway, suggestion to help lean out include: eat protein at every meal, do not eat a lot of fruit and if you do, stick to berries and keep it minimal. Do not snack on a lot of nuts, if you eat them, eat just a small handful. Make sure you get enough sleep. Lack of sleep will make you keep on the weight, especially around the mid section. Do not overtrain – if you are sore for days and days on end, dial it back a bit. Make sure you are letting your body recover. Always eat breakfast and don’t let yourself get to that starving point. I hope all of these fast tips help!

  27. Stacy says:

    Hi Sarah,
    So never seeing almond meal, do I just grind up the almonds very small in the food processor and then very small to make flour?

  28. Stacy says:

    I’m apologize, I forgot to ask you something…if I am hungry at night, if I’m trying to lean out, what is the best thing for me to eat? I try not to snack after dinner, but sometimes I am very hungry if I end up being later than usual. Do you have any suggestions?

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Stacey, no worries – I suggest if you are trying to lean out to not snack too much at night and if you do snack, stick to protein and a little bit of fat like some avocado. I would stay away from snacking on a nuts or fruit, especially in the evening. I would suggest sliced turkey and a bit of avocado and a couple cherrie tomatoes or a hardboiled egg drizzled with a bit of olive oil.

  29. Yvette says:

    Ok I made these last night. This recipe needs to come with a warning label “DANGER: WILL INDUCE EUPHORIC EATING SENSATIONS.” I had to leave the kitchen and ask my partner to hide the remaining muffins.

    For Stacy: Making your own almond meal: http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreeingredient1/ht/makealmondmeal.htm
    Oh and I would avoid making these for leaning out. They are that good and it’s hard to have just one. I naively thought that eating a half of one as a snack would be possible. I’m going to have to find other snacks as well.

  30. Sarah,
    I love your site. I just went to the Whole9Life seminar on nutrition and we just started a Paleo challenge yesterday at Crossfit MSP. My family is not all that excited about eating Paleo but I am hoping to convert them by feeding them great meals from recipes like your Paleo Lasagna. I also made these Apple Muffins this morning and my girls loved them. My family was so excited to wake up to the smell of yummy warm apples and cinnamon. Thank you for your time in putting this blog together. It is amazing.

  31. Thank you Sarah, for the egg reply. I have had my eye on the cookies, too and cannot wait to try them. Have to get the coconut ingredients, first and I am also very excited about starting to use coconut oil when I get it in the house. By the way, I have looked at several recipe sites for paleo eating and yours is, by far, the best. Better recipes, more user-friendly info and so positive it helps so much when I feel like I’m the only person on the planet who KNOWS this is the healthiest way to eat. I seem to be surrounded by people who think that meat is evil and unhealthy.

    Eating paleo was what helped my doctor FINALLY diagnose me with Celiac disease and I’d been sick for my whole life and I’m 56. I felt so much better without grain it was a big clue.

    You have inspired me beyond words… my new path to health has been both exhilarating and difficult and it helps immensely to have the encouragement and actual HELP your site has provided. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

  32. Yvonne says:

    Hi Sarah:

    I made these muffins and they were awesome however when I stored them in tupperware they start to heat up and cause a lot of condensation and then quickly went bad. Any idea why? Did you have this problem. Next time I guess we just need to eat them all as soon as they come out of the oven.

    Yvonne

  33. Can I just say that 1) I ditto everything everyone has said about these muffins and can’t wait to make some as a treat!
    2) The picture of your little one attacking the apple with plastic forks and knives is ADORABLE!!!

  34. Debbie says:

    Hi Sarah, I wanted to check about the baking soda thing. I saw that Yvette asked the same question. I have read all the paleo books and everything I have read state that baking soda is not paleo. Can you help with this?

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Debbie – Here’s my take on baking soda and life in general really. Every now and then we like to make apple muffins and they really puff up nicely when I put 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda in them. Maybe there are people that do not think baking soda is “paleo” because the cave man didn’t have an oven or a store or a way to go and get the stuff. Although it could be argued that cave people did digest “baking soda” being that it is only sodium bicarbonate and is sometimes found naturally dissolved in mineral springs. Baking POWDER on the other hand often has corn starch in it – but even then – I wouldn’t call it the evils of all evils. Baking soda does not historically cause heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or obesity – unlike gluten filled sugar laden foods, so if a bit of baking soda helps by getting your kids, or yourself to eat a healthy apple muffin and baking soda makes it taste a bit better – then I think it’s about as damn paleo as it can get. When we start treating eating paleo like a religion instead of like real life, I get a bit scared… You have to make choices based on what’s best for YOU and whats best for me is to not worry about baking soda. : ) In fact, in the paleo diet for athletes, Dr. Cordain actually recommends baking soda for to help lower blood acidity – so I doubt that everything everywhere says that baking soda “is not paleo.” IN fact, a quick internet search on paleo and baking soda brings up lots of interesting views, most very neutral about the stuff. I hope this info helps!! : )

  35. Debbie says:

    Thank you so much Sarah. I ask because this life style becomes so subjective. I totally agree with your point view. Things in moderation is ok. I want to confirm things as I cook paleo for people that are strict paleo eaters. I try to find information and it’s tough to find consistent information. I totally appreciate you getting back to me and I really enjoy your site.

    Deb

  36. Leonard says:

    I have recently started the Paleo lifestyle and your website has been a great help to me. I absolutely love your muffins. I have made them at least 3 times since coming across your site.

  37. These were great! I topped them with a drizzle of honey. Thanks!

  38. Yvonne says:

    I am definitely going to make these muffins!! I am wondering if I could use coconut flour or a combination of almond meal and coconut flour.

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Yvonne, I would try a combo of coconut flour and almond meal to get the right consistency!

  39. Brandie says:

    Is it possible to get the nutritional info for this?

  40. Sarah says:

    Oh I want to make these tomorrow morning but do not have coconut oil… what can I sub?? Thank you!!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Sarah! You can sub with grass fed butter!

  41. Linae says:

    Sarah,
    My daughter and I have these for breakfast many mornings a week. I am having trouble with them sticking to the pan. I bought an expensive non stick muffin pan and use the coconut oil but they still stick. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Linae, Hmmmm, mine usually don’t stick in my non-stick pan – maybe use more coconut oil and make sure your batter isn’t too runny? I hope that helps; let me know! : )

  42. Kellie says:

    Amazingly YUM!! Had dinner just about ready when these came out of the oven, but they looked & smelt so great I had to try one. Muffin, egg and berries for breakfast tomorrow-can’t wait. Thanks Sarah for all of your hard work, we all appreciate it very much!!

    1. Sarah says:

      Awesome Kellie, thank you so much!! : )

  43. These sound great! I’d like to make them without the banana and am wondering if you have any thoughts on how to adjust the recipe? Do you think they would need more water or? I am fine with them being less sweet, but I have some digestive issues that need me to keep my fruit (and sugar) consumption LOW, which is why I’m interested in removing the banana and not adding any other sweetener in its place.
    Thanks!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Autum! I I think you would be fine without the banana and maybe just add a couple tablespoons of water if the batter seems way too thick. You should be just fine without it!! : )

  44. Lindsey Q says:

    Hi Sarah,
    I love your website and have made many of your meals, thank you very much! I was just curious what kind of almond meal you buy and where you buy it? I have a feeling you are going to say Trader Joes. I wish we had one close by! The kind that I have is called Bob’s Red Mill and is finely ground. Yours does not look as fine and it looks like it still has the skin.

    Thanks!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Lindsey Q! Yup, you guessed it! Trader Joe’s is where I buy my almond meal from but you can also make your own if you have a food processor, just process the heck out of whole raw almonds until the get to the consistency that you want! : )

  45. Lindsey Q says:

    Perfect! Thanks Sarah 🙂

  46. Sara Ross says:

    My fiance & I just joined a Crossfit gym in Nashville this month and have started to eat Paleo (or as close to it as we can) as well. This was our first official “everyday paleo” recipe – SO GOOD! 🙂 Thanks so much for posting this and other recipes! Will definitely make it easier to eat Paleo and enjoy it! 🙂

    1. Sarah says:

      Awesome Sara Ross!!

  47. Stefanie says:

    These were delish..i added a handful of raisins before baking. My husband couldnt believe they were paleo! Thanks!

    1. Yummy idea with the raisins!

  48. Michelle Jenkins says:

    I did these as an after school snack for my kids but instead of cupcakes put them in a donut pan. Success!

    1. How fun!!

  49. Great recipe! Love the pictures! I have been sharing some of your recipes on my blog, feel free to use mine!

  50. Lindsey says:

    Is there a sub for the coconut oil?

    1. Sarah says:

      You can use grass fed organic butter! : )

  51. Christine says:

    These were delicious! Perfect for me going on Day 3 of the Whole30, needed something other than eggs for breakfast, and I LOVE muffins! Thanks for this recipe!

    1. Sarah says:

      Awesome Christine, glad you liked them!

    2. joy green says:

      i know what you mean so many eggs!!! sometimes i make a mixed berry shake and add a little coconut palm sugar. its amazing!!!!

  52. Cindy says:

    Hi Sarah,
    I tried these this morning and they are fantastic! (Though I missed the grease the muffin pan line, so they stuck a little, but still tasted great!)

    Thank you for this site! I am just starting on my Paleo journey! I read about Paleo in a magazine last Thursday, got on to Amazon ordered Robb Wolf’s book, pre-ordered yours and bought a cook book! I started on Monday (3-21) , got Wolf’s book and the cookbook on Monday and found this and a couple other great sites to help me!

    I can’t believe how much better I feel in just a few days!
    Thanks again for the site!
    Cindy

    1. Sarah says:

      So wonderful to hear Cindy! You are on an amazing journey to health – enjoy the ride!!

      1. Myrna Silva says:

        How do I know when or if to use coconut oil melted? Will the recipe say “melted”? Wanted to make these muffins but I started to see a common theme with coconut oil.

  53. Samantha says:

    Made these yesterday and even my non-paleo roommate wanted some 🙂 I’m looking forward to having these as a nice addition to breakfast (or as dessert :)) throughout the week! Thanks Sarah!

    1. Sarah says:

      Awesome Samantha and you are so very welcome!!

  54. Danielle says:

    Really want to make these, but I’m allergic to bananas. Is there an alternative, or are they even really needed? Loving my Paleo Journey so far though. 🙂

    1. Sarah says:

      You can leave them out or add more apples or even applesauce instead! : )

  55. Melinda says:

    These are a great idea. I only had apples and blueberries on hand so I pulsed apples into sauce and used the blueberries whole. The muffins came out really good!

  56. Jordana says:

    Is almond meal the same as almond flour or ground almonds? I am looking for the ingredients in the UK and almond meal eludes me!

    Thanks
    Jordana

    1. Sarah says:

      Yes, you got it! Almond meal is simply almonds ground up to the consistency of flour. : )

  57. Jolene Matthews says:

    4 omega 3 enriched eggs

    What does this mean? 4 or 3 eggs? Stilling learning the cooking lingo 🙂

  58. Sonja says:

    Hi Sarah,

    My son is allergic to all the nuts. I would like to make these muffins using coconut flour.
    Would this be a good substitute?

    1. Christine says:

      Sonja,

      Here is a link to some really yummy blueberry muffins using coconut flour http://www.elanaspantry.com/blueberry-muffins/. I used olive oil instead of the called for oil and they turned out great.

    2. Sarah says:

      I agree with using Elana’s pantry recipe – so good!!

    3. Stephanie says:

      I tried making these today with coconut flour and found that 2 1/4 cups is way too much. If you want to try it with coconut flour I would suggest adding it to the batter in 1/2 cup increments and watching to see when it looks like the consistency of Sarah’s. Too much coconut flour will make them very mealy.

  59. Wow! A friend from my crossfit box recently recommended your site to me. I’m new to Paleo after following a raw food diet on and off for years. I LOVE this recipe! I had to tweak it because my husband took the last apples to work this morning (Yay and Boo)! But I used four super ripe bananas and made them into banana muffins. The batter was so tasty! I can’t wait to try the finished product! My girls are super psyched to have warm muffins again LOL

  60. Naomi says:

    Hi, thanks for sharing your great recipes! This is only my second week eating paleo. I tried a muffin recipe from another site and they were mooshy in the middle while the outside was too dark. Is the texture just something to get used to with paleo baked goods or is it possible to make fluffy muffins (such as with your recipe here)? Thanks for your expertise!

  61. Amanda says:

    I just made this recipe, even put in about a tsp of molasses. It’s AMAZING. I love it even better if you drizzle a little honey on top. ^_^ Usually I have trouble with almond flour and coconut flour recipes. They often come out dense and horrible. This comes out fluffy and moist! I’m not sure if it’s the coconut oil that’s doing it. If you’ve had trouble in the past with almond flour, try this anyway. You’ll be in for a pleasant surprise and you’ll feel more hopeful about the whole diet. I have to have my sweets to be happy and this takes care of it. 🙂

  62. Stephanie says:

    I these baking in the ove right now 🙂 I only had 2 cups of almond flour so I used that plus 1/4 cup coconut flour. They smell amazing!

    1. Sarah says:

      Great sub with the coconut flour, hope they turned out yummy!

      1. Kim says:

        Stephanie, I would love to know how the muffins turned out with the coconut flour as I have loads I need to use up.

        Thanks

        Kim

  63. Julie says:

    LOVED these muffins!! I ate 4 of them fresh out of the oven before I had to walk away lest I eat the entire batch.

    Thank you so much for your incredible blog. I recently lost 20 lbs eating Paleo, but have found myself slipping back to my old ways. Your blog helps me stay on track with all of the helpful tips and information. I just kicked off a new 30 Day Paleo challenge and your blog will definitely be my new go to site! Plus, I just ordered your book and I can’t wait for it to arrive!

    Keep up the great work Sarah!

    Julie from Sacramento

    1. Sarah says:

      Awesome Julie! You can do it girl, thanks so much for your comment!

  64. Dawn says:

    My husband and I have been craving apple fritters. So I took this recipe and ran with it. I added a fair amount of coconut flour to thicken up the batter. Then I dropped balls of it into hot ghee and fried it. Topped the fritters with a bit of agave syrup. So please tell me, Is this a variation that we should perhaps not eat again? Or is it a reasonably acceptable indulgence? The added coconut flour, by the way, tasted awesome.

  65. And now I know what to make for dessert this evening. Really craving something sweet and now I found the perfect receipe to have after your pork dish! Thank you Sarah! 🙂

  66. Katie says:

    My daughter (4 and 3/4 as she will precisely tell you!) and I made these muffins the other day for breakfast. She ate up about 3 with our eggs with breakfast and was proud to give her daddy one right when he walked in the door after work. Then after dinner my daughter proclaimed she wanted dessert. Uhoh….ummm…..”well, honey, what were you thinking you wanted?” “A muffin” she proclaims and scurries off to the kitchen! Thanks for another great recipe.

  67. Marlene says:

    Just finished reading The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain. I started Level 1 meal plan 2 days ago but having to modify it because I haven’t been able to get to Sprouts or Trader Joes. I love your site because it gives me recipes for me to try. I love muffins for breakfast & can’t wait to make these! Thanks for such a great web site! I will be coming back often & been to Amazon to order your book. I love shopping lists!

  68. My wife had been suffering from Paleo Tooth as I call it (Sweet Tooth). These did the trick. I even had one myself, and I’ve stayed really strict on fruit. Simple and delicious!

  69. Trecia says:

    I made these muffins yesterday. Even though I greased the pan, the still stuck. I’m thinking of using parchment paper in the bottom next time. 🙂 They are wonderfully tasty! Thanks, Sarah!

  70. Cherie says:

    For some reason my batter was EXTREMELY dry. I made them with half almond, and half coconut flour. I decided to double the coconut oil, and water to make it wetter, but it was still really dry. Could it be the coconut flour?

  71. My daughter and I made these last night. We had some almonds we just finished drying after a nice overnight soak so we decided to make our own almond meal. She really loves your Everyday Paleo book because she gets to help in the kitchen. We have claimed it our family fun zone and if someone is grumpy they have to stand outside the kitchen doorway until they put a smile on their face. We all very much enjoy our family time together cooking and creating. Last night Daddy was away so we tackled this one ourselves. She had to go to bed once they went into the oven but I did enjoy one hot out of the oven, very tasty! When Daddy got home he tried one and approved (which is awesome because he’s usually ain’t flour subsitute items) Our little one got to enjoy one of these delicious apples for breakfast this morning along with some sausage.

    We are thinking we might try shredding the apple next time to make the apple part of the muffin instead of apple chunks, maybe even some whole nuts added to the mix would give it a little crunch. I love reading above about other peoples little variations. I just love getting creative.

    Thank you for another successful recipe and family bonding experience. 🙂

  72. These look so yummy! I’ve needed a quick breakfast recipe for me during my Whole30 challenge. Quick question, you paired these with some extra protein, but I’m a high school student who only has team to eat breakfast on the bus. Are these ok as a breakfast by themselves, or do I really need to incorporate the extra protein? Thanks for the awesome recipe :}

    1. I would try to incorporate some extra protein if you could! I would suggest making a bunch of hardboiled eggs at the beginning of the week so you can grab a muffin and an egg and run out the door. : )

  73. I made these today & the kids & I LOVE them! We’re in the midst of a 30 day challenge with our box & I really needed a little something besides my usual eggs & bacon routine. Thanks for sharing!!

  74. Sadira says:

    Bananas are really expensive in Australia at the moment, like $12 a kilo, so I used about 1/2 a cup of apple puree instead. I also substituted coconut oil with macadamia because it’s what I had in the cupboard. At first I thought my cupcakes weren’t sweet enough, but with eggs on the side the apple taste comes out nicely. Thanks Sarah for the recipe 🙂

    1. Krishna Narayanan says:

      Oh my gosh I subbed with macadamia nut oil too Sadira!!! I am a lover of macadamias and I also had that at home. It is a great oil with a high smoke point and a light, nutty buttery flavour. But the sweetness comes from coconut oil so I drizzled in some pure maple syrup into the mixture to make up for that! They’re amazing muffins!!!!!!!!!!!

  75. christina says:

    Can’t wait to try these for my housewarming party next weekend. I have leaf and pumpkin shaped muffin tins so they will be a perfect fall treat. 🙂 Maybe I will have to try a batch now just to test 😉

  76. Made them yesterday. None left… Busy making the new batch now:)
    Thank you for a great recipe!

  77. Hi! I made these and they were great the first day, but didn’t seem to keep. Should they have been refrigerated? The next day they smelled/tasted slightly rancid, I can’t figure out why?

    1. I’m not sure either! I have made these several times and have always stayed fresh until the next day even when left out. It could be that your almond meal was not entirely fresh to begin with? Not sure!! I would suggest the next time you make them to go ahead and refrigerate your leftovers to play it safe. : )

  78. Thank you
    Thank you
    Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
    My fiance and I just started the 30 Day paleo challenge and we are on day three and without these amazing muffins I would have broke and ate some sweets or break. THESE ARE EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED 🙂 took my junk food craving away with the first bite

  79. hahah i ment ate some sweet or bread not BREAK.. WHOOOPS

  80. Hi Sarah,

    Great recipe – I just made it for the second time and really upped the cinnamon and even added a dash of vanilla extract and YUMMMM! Very good. The first batch I made by hand but the second one I used my new food processor and it made all the difference.

    Extra delish! Thanks!

    1. Sarah says:

      So glad you liked them!!

  81. Troye says:

    I’m wondering what measurements to use if I want to use only coconut flour…do you know? I’m diabetic and not doing as many nuts at the moment so I would prefer not to use almond flour. Thanks!

  82. Kristin says:

    We just made these muffins and they are pretty good! I am loving these Paleo recipes that allow me to feel like I’m having an indulgence without the guilt =) My only question is… is there a way to up the sweetness just a little? We made these muffins yesterday http://www.elanaspantry.com/pumpkin-pie-muffins/ and they were sweet due to the agave nectar. Not sure how adding more liquid would affect the muffin. Any ideas?

    1. Sarah says:

      I would add another ripe banana for additional sweetness or maybe just a touch of honey. I would stay away from agave…. http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/

  83. Kimberly Stewart says:

    Hi Sarah, I am about one week in to the paleo lifestyle and am facing a challenge (besides living in Abu Dhabi with limited ingredient resources). I absolutely love baked goods and so I have been totally pumped about discovering your deliciously recipes both on your blog and in your book. I was recently diagnosed with an almond/hazelnut/soy allergy and therefore cannot use almond meal or almond butter. Can you recommend a substitute? I appreciate your help as I am dying to try some of these recipes!

    Thanks!

  84. Daniel says:

    Hi Sarah, is it possible to make those muffins without a muffin tray?

    Unfortunately I only own a toaster oven, but they look so delicious that I have to try making them too 😀

    Thanks,
    Daniel

    1. Sarah says:

      Yup, you can make them in a glass baking dish as well and cut them out in squares. Just make sure to grease the pan with lots of grass fed butter!!

  85. Just made these with excellent results. Used pureed apple and frozen blueberries, no banana. Wasn’t expecting the amazing texture. Next time I will use fresh blueberries, though. Frozen berries prevented even cooking throughout, I think.

    1. Sarah says:

      Great ideas Kerri, I will have to try them with the pureed apple as well!

  86. amazing! My favorite! I bought you book and I absolutely love all the recipes in it! And the muffins! Yes!!! My top favorite. Keep up the amazing work, already waiting for the 2nd book 🙂

  87. OMG!! = Oh! Muffin Goodness!
    I was about to face-plant into a box of poptarts (I know) and I decided to make these muffins instead! They saved my life!! I’ve been mostly paleo (90% for a month…Thanksgiving tripped me up a bit) but my inner 5 yr old was throwing relentless tantrums for something baked for the last several days…
    I can’t wait to experiment with the recipe and see what kind of seasonal goodies I can come up with. Since it’s just me, I’m going to individually wrap them and freeze them and only have 2-3 per week max.
    I can’t thank you enough…

    Hope

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Hope! I’m SO glad that these muffins kept you from derailing into a box of pop tarts. : ) You can do this, just hang in there and keep using Everyday Paleo as a resource and support. Thanks so much for commenting and happy holidays!

  88. Sounds great but my son has a peanut/tree nut allergy and MANY of the Paleo recipes have almond/coconut ingredients. Any subs?

  89. These were AWESOME AWESOMENESS! My 9 year old daughter got to do a huge part of it. We brought it to the gym where they do MovNat and had people try them. They were loved. Awesome awesomeness.

    1. Sarah says:

      Thank you Joy, so glad they were a hit!

  90. Lisa Havens says:

    My husband and I decided to start 2012 doing paleo. I boight your book right away and have used it extensively. This morning I went to the kitchen to throw a batch of these in the oven and realized that I had lent the book to my daughter. Nooooo! I probably could have come pretty close to remembering the ingredients but took a chance on finding them on line. Thanks for posting them! I have made these several times and have played with added ingredients. My husband is one of those disgustingly lucky people to actually be trying to gain weight so he can handle a lot more dried fruits and nuts in his diet. These muffins stand up very well to the addition of walnut pieces, some dried cranberries and even a few fresh blueberries (although too many berries will make them soggy. I also make them big, so I fit all the batter into 12 muffins. Bake time increases to about 22 minutes. Thanks for the inspiration and a Great book!

    1. Sarah says:

      Thanks so much Lisa and I’m so glad you are enjoying my book! : )

  91. Rebecca says:

    These are good! I am on my second week of paleo and missing breakfast foods with flour. I put honey butter on the for the kiddos (this is a diversion for them too!) and they enjoyed them! LOVE your website and all your great recipies!

    1. Thank you Rebecca and I’m glad you all enjoyed the muffins!

  92. Alec says:

    Hi. Me and my mom are going paleo and I want to make these for her this weekend. Will these be easy enough for me to make? I’m only 14 if that will help

    1. Dana says:

      YES, nice and easy! And don’t worry… 14 year olds are often WAY MORE competent than Paleo adults 🙂 Congrats to you and your mom for jumping on an adventure of Health!

  93. Cheryl says:

    I tried these twice…I don’t know what I am doing wrong, but mine are very dry not like cake batter at all. I measured carefully…anyone else having the same problem? Any suggestions?

    1. Sarah says:

      What type of almond meal did you use? Unfortunately, Bob’s Red Mill Almond “Flour” doesn’t always make the best muffins. I recommend using a courser brand like the one found at Trader Joe’s or this one here http://www.amminnut.com

  94. Melodya says:

    I often replace some of my eggs when I bake, with ground flax. Could I do this here or would it change the chemistry? Thanks!

    1. Sarah says:

      Unfortunately, I have not tried this with this recipe so I’m afraid to tell you if it would work or not! I’m sorry!

  95. Stephanie says:

    Today was my first attempt at baking anything paleo & I made this because it sounded easy & delicious. I have to say it did not turn out as tasty or well as the reviews on here. Maybe I am just not used to the taste of the almond meal but I also added an extra banana.

    1. Penny says:

      Stephanie,
      I had the same experience this morning! I just read through all the responses to see if I was the only one who failed with these. I used a different oil than coconut, and it sounds like that might have been a mistake. Perhaps it lends some sweetness? I also used Bob’s almond flour, and I saw a note from Sarah that it isn’t the best for muffins. Fortunately, I made her walnut pesto, bacon arugula salad, and cauliflower mash last night and it was AMAZING! So the experiments continue…

  96. Kathryn says:

    I have never cooked with almond meal before. What a great recipe! I didn’t have muffin tins so made it in a loaf pan (so kind of a “bread”). Added some salt and vanilla extract too. Worked out really well and a slice is best served warm with a little butter. Think I will try a few variations – maybe a moist carrot or sweet potato loaf using the apple again for sweetness. Thank you!

  97. Maria says:

    How much apple sauce would you put in to sub for the banana? 1 cup?

  98. Kathleen Nolan says:

    I was so happy with the results of these muffins – the texture was awesome – it was just the right amount of sweetness from the banana. To add a little interest to the overal muffin I added crushed nuts with a little ghee to make a streusal and drizzled with honey prior to baking. AWESOME, and definately a recipe for my file – They are going right in the freezer for those special treat days. Being a diabetic with an abnormal morning sugar fast I need to eat a snack at night – this often gets hard for me to do and still stay on my program. My daily sugar numbers are awesome but if i don’t have a night time snack giving my body something to work on my body makes sugar to compensate – this will be a night time snack with a little riccotta cheese (I am not strictly paleo – i do incorporate a bit of cheese in my diet) or additional fruit.

  99. Theresa Watson says:

    does anyone know how to find out how many calories in these muffins…yikes the almond meal alone states 1440 calories….YIKES…

  100. Andrew McDermott says:

    Can you substitute coconut flour for the almond meal?

    1. Sarah says:

      You probably could but it would make the liquid ration much different; you need a lot more eggs when cooking with coconut flour!!

  101. Andrew McDermott says:

    HELP! I made these and they were terrible. I know I did something wrong because my mixture was very thick and not soupy like yours or any other recipe I can find. What could I be doing wrong?

  102. Kerri Kinzer says:

    I don’t know if that’s the texture they should be but I wasn’t a fan, tasted like they were wet inside but I cooked them for longer then recommended. 🙁

  103. Stephanie says:

    Love these! I add frozen berries to them and they are even more delicious! 🙂

  104. Sam says:

    My paleo and gluten free friends are coming over today for the fourth and I thought this may be a fun snack that was also accommodating. These are gluten free, right?

    1. Sarah says:

      Yes, of course!

  105. Krishna Narayanan says:

    Hi Sarah,
    Thank you very much for your WONDERFUL and almost healthy baking recipe!! This is the healthiest baking recipe I have ever made. It is almost healthy because of the unhealthy coconut oil – sat fats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. This is why and I sick and fed up with paleo baking recipes. All call for some sort of coconut, usually oil. Other fats are unhealthy and not paleo so I see why. But —— there is an AMAZING solution – I substituted with MACADAMIA NUT OIL. Perfect for baking as it has a high smoke point and has HEALTHY fats!!! The healthiest baking fat around!!!!!!! It has a light flavour – tastes like nothing really but a light hint of nutty and buttery flavour. Perfect. So it can be used in any recipe.
    But I understand that this is also a sweetener as well as a baking fat. So I drizzled some PURE MAPLE SYRUP into the the mixture.
    AND I GOT THESE AMAZING MUFFINS!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING !!!!

  106. Christine says:

    You might have already answered this question but I didn’t see it; approx how many calories or what is the nutritional content of this recipe? I want to put it in my tracker. They are delicious! My family really enjoyed thief this morning.

  107. Catherine says:

    These are super good! Im not totally Paleo, but I am GF. I put a little brown sugar in it (I live in Italy and cannot get coconut sugar shipped for a decent price sadly) to sweeten it up just a tad. My husband does his best with Paleo as he can, but he LOVES these w some nut butter on them. My 2 yr old even eats them up! 🙂

  108. Mommadilla says:

    Just made these using a donut pan and drizzled them with a mixture of coconut cream, coconut butter and cinnamon. SO good! Will definitely be making these again soon 🙂

  109. These look amazing Sarah! I’m allergic to almonds. Do you think I could use coconut flour instead?

    1. With coconut flour, it requires a LOT more eggs than with almond flour and a lot less flour. Here’s a link to Elana’s Pantry nut free list of recipes, including muffins! Hope this helps! http://www.elanaspantry.com/nut-free-recipes/

  110. I made these and they came out bland and the texture was too chunky. My kids would not eat them, said they had no flavor. How can these be doctored up to be kid friendly. Can you use a combo of almond flour and coconut flour? What would be the ratio? Would vanilla extract help?
    I am trying desperately to get my kids to eat paleo treats but they just don’t like the texture and lack of full flavor.

  111. Brandy says:

    I made these today as my very first Paleo recipe! They are amazing! My 3 year old loved them!
    The texture is more like little fruit souffles than a conventional muffin. Thank you so much for posting will definitely be making these again! Can’t wait to try more recipes!

  112. Angie says:

    I am just starting the Paleo lifestyle. I have been dying to bake with almond meal and i think this just might be the first thing I try! What are some of the best almond meal brands to buy? Where do you get them? Costco? Is blanched or unblanched better? Thank you!!!

    1. This is the brand I like best and yes, you can typically find it as Costco! http://www.costco.com/Honeyville-Blanched-Fine-Almond-Flour-(2)-3-lbs-bags.product.100090735.html

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