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AIP Cranberry Muffins are wonderful year round, using fresh or frozen cranberries. Enjoy for a special breakfast treat, with afternoon tea or alongside any meal, including soup. Sweet, tart and special + nutrient-dense, AIP Cranberry Muffins have a tender crumb and the perfect texture — hard to believe they’re egg-free. This recipe is AIP, Paleo, Gluten-free, as well as nut-free and dairy-free.
How to make AIP Cranberry Muffins
AIP Cranberry Muffins are a basic recipe to make: Simply mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients and stir together. Then bake.
Once baked, cool the muffins or eat warm.
Variations
If you wish, accent the batter with orange rind or orange oil.
Optionally, for a special coffeecake feel, top the batter with crumb topping.
Storage
You can keep muffins on the counter, sealed, for one day. If eating within a few days, just wrap and refrigerate.
For long term storage, freeze muffins in a sealed container for up to 3 months. To defrost, simply leave out at room temp for several hours or overnight.
Ingredients
The dry ingredients in AIP Cranberry Muffins are cassava flour, coconut flour, collagen, gelatin, coconut sugar, baking soda and sea salt.
Wet ingredients are coconut oil, coconut milk, water, apple cider vinegar and the cranberries.
My use of collagen in muffins
I often get questions about my use of collagen in recipes, and some wonder if the recipe will turn out without it. I’m not sure about AIP Cranberry Muffins without the collagen, but recipes do sometimes turn out fine when it’s omitted — although it’s better not to change AIP baking recipes. These muffins have 11 grams of protein each! I add the collagen because I really like getting extra amino acids in my diet (for rebuilding tissue and other protein needs the body has) and also because collagen does contribute a nice touch to the texture of muffins.
Are AIP Cranberry Muffins healthy
AIP Cranberry Muffins are healthy in one respect: They’re nutrient-dense. They contain lots of great complex carbs, fiber, good fats, as well as protein.
But muffins are still a dessert-like treat because they contain concentrated sweetener. I think it’s fine to enjoy a muffin a day, as long as your savory main dish is the focus — lots of well-sourced protein, fats and fiber.
Muffins go great alongside breakfast meats, soups at lunch or dinner, and are also good for snacking, especially if you’ve got some beef jerky or something similar to go alongside.
AIP Cranberry Muffins (Paleo, GF)
Equipment
- oven
- muffin pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cassava flour Otto's or Bob's brands (other brands will not work because they are too starchy)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil or lard, melted and cooled slightly
- ⅓ cup coconut milk or non-dairy milk of choice
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar or maple sugar
- ¼ cup collagen see link and DISCOUNT code below in Recipe Notes
- 3 Tablespoons coconut flour
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon gelatin see link and DISCOUNT code below in Recipe Notes
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- ½ teaspoon orange oil optional; or 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup cranberries frozen or fresh, chopped roughly
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin pan with liners or paper muffin cups (a lot of muffin cups stick, so spray with coconut oil spray, as needed). Set aside.
- In large bowl, combine dry ingredients: cassava flour, coconut sugar, collagen, coconut flour, gelatin, baking soda and sea salt.
- In medium bowl, combine wet ingredients: fat of choice, coconut milk, water and apple cider vinegar. (If you wish to add an orange flavor to your muffins, include the orange oil with this step.)
- Add wet ingredients, including cranberries, to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fill prepared muffin pan with batter. (See Crumb Topping option below, if desired, in recipe Notes.) If not using Crumb Topping: Wet your fingers with water to pat batter together and smooth the tops of the muffins. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 minutes for 4 large muffins or 20 minutes for 6 smaller muffins.
Notes
You can find collagen peptides HERE. (Enter code BEAUTIFUL10 at checkout for 10% off your order.)
You can find grass-fed and pesticide-free gelatin HERE. (Enter code BEAUTIFUL10 at checkout for 10% off your order.)
Coconut sugar HERE.
Optional Crumb Topping
INGREDIENTS- 1 cup cassava flour
- ½ cup lard or palm shortening (room temperature)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup ice water
- ½ teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- In bowl of food processor (or use a pastry cutter and large bowl), combine cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and sea salt.
- Add fat of choice, and pulse to combine, until small clumps form.
- Sprinkle ice water over all, and pulse again to form crumb topping. (Do not over-mix or topping will clump together and form a dough.)
- Top muffins with crumble, pressing it into the batter slightly. (Reserve any extra in a jar in the freezer or fridge for your next batch.) Bake as instructed above.
Wanda says
I made these with almond flour and Lakanto sweetener, perfect
Megan says
Wow, great, Wanda, thank you for sharing! 🙂
Lynda says
Can you. Substitute anything for the collegen?
Megan says
Hi Lynda, I write about collagen and this question in the post a bit. It is a unique ingredient used to affect the texture (it adds a nice tender cakey element) and also to add amino acids (protein). The muffins may be fine just omitting it, but I haven’t tried it. There is no substitution for it.
komal says
can i skip/substitute gelatin?
Megan says
Hi Komal, unfortunately, no on skipping it. Gelatin stands in place of the eggs in the recipe, because the muffins are egg-free. You might be able to sub flax eggs or use agar-agar, but I haven’t done it to be able to give you the specs.
Eileen says
Thanks for this great recipe. These are amongst the best AIP muffins that I have tried, and there have been many! Great flavor, texture, and they don’t fall apart. I used Anthony’s Cassava Flour with excellent result. Instead of making the topping I sprinkled with shredded, unsweetened coconut. I will definitely be making these again!
Megan says
Great, Eileen! SO glad, and thanks so much for sharing your results AND that Anthony’s worked well in this recipe. 🙂
Wanda says
I believe I can use eggs instead of gelatin. How many should I use?
Megan says
Hi Wanda, this recipe hasn’t been tested with eggs. Even though you can eat eggs now, for this recipe, I’d keep it the same because it’s perfect as-is. 🙂
Katie says
I’m really excited to try these, but can’t find fresh or frozen cranberries What would be the conversion for unsweetened dried cranberries?
Megan says
Hi Katie, I would probably use 1/3 cup of dried cranberries. Enjoy!! 🙂