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Cranberry Lemon Macaroon Mini-Muffins
(Low Carb & Wheat Free)
Makes 3 dozen
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups blanched almond flour
3/4 cup ground golden flax seeds
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener (or powdered erythritol)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup extra light olive oil or coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 large lemon)
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (up to 2 cups cranberries)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (long shreds)
3 tablespoons Swerve Granular Sweetener, optional (for sprinkling on top of muffins before baking)
Olive oil spray or coconut oil spray for greasing muffin tins
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray mini muffin pans with oil and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, ground flax, coconut flour, baking powder and 1 cup sweetener until combined.
In a separate medium bowl, beat eggs, oil, vanilla extract, buttermilk and lemon zest until well combined. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined. Fold in cranberries and coconut. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling almost to the top. If desired, sprinkle top of each muffin with granular sweetener. Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in pan; flip and cool completely on a wire rack. Makes approximately 3 dozen mini-muffins.
Looks great! Do you recommend the same proportion of xylitol if you do not have swerve? I have not been able to find swerve yet but will keep looking.
ReplyDeletethanks, barb
Hi GGC,
ReplyDeleteCranberries, lemon, and coconut ... an unbeatable combo. We just had your biscuits again tonight (I've lost track of how many times I've made them)! When we finish them, this recipe is definitely next in line! (And it won't be very long from now, either!)
Hi Barb -- Thanks! Xylitol is supposed to measure like sugar (as Swerve) so it should work fine. Be careful with it if you have pets since its toxic to them -- just make sure they don't eat anything made with it -- even a small amount is dangerous for them. It should substitute fine though! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi CyberSis -- I really liked this combination. LOL on the biscuits -- I make them frequently too -- everyone seems to like them here -- even the non grain-free family members. I need to make some more muffins -- I'm enjoying cranberry season -- can you tell? LOL :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your help with the xylitol and will be extra careful as I have a similar looking dog to your Spike but a bigger tan and black version!
ReplyDeleteBarb
Hi Barb -- you are welcome. Spike almost burns holes in our heads staring at us so hard when we eat...waiting for that little taste or ready to pounce at a moment's notice if we should accidentally drop or spill something -- I dropped Vitamin D pill several months ago and I swear he grabbed and swallowed it so fast I didn't stand a chance -- so, with a larger group in my house at the holiday time...I just can't trust what would or could happen here! So many more heads for him to stare holes into and so many more "opportunities" for people to sneak him a bite or drop something accidentally. Let me know how the xylitol works in the muffins if you give it a try. :-)
ReplyDeleteJust made these. They smell delicious!!! I made them regular muffin size and baked a minute longer plus substituted wheat*free market sweetener. They also taste delicious!! Thanks GG :)
ReplyDeleteThat Spike sounds like a character...and I think my someone also likes to burn holes in a similar fashion!
ReplyDeleteI found a product called Zero and it seems to be a similar product to swerve. Am going to try the muffins tomorrow!
Thanks for all your help.
Barb
Thanks, Barb -- hope you enjoy them. Never heard of Zero before -- let me know how they turn out! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi GGC,
ReplyDeleteI have some "Zero" sweetener, too. I picked some up to try before I started ordering Swerve. It's 100% erythritol and made by Wholesome Sweeteners (www.OrganicSugars.biz) It's very similar to Swerve. I would say it's interchangeable with it, but one recommendation I saw said to add a small amount of stevia to it when substituting for Swerve.
The Zero package has the "Non-GMO Project Verified" seal. It's granular and measures cup-for-cup like Swerve. I really can't tell a difference. I don't recall how much I paid for it, but I remember thinking at the time that the cost was comparable to Swerve.
Hi CyberSis -- I always learn something new -- I hadn't heard of it before! I think I have NuNaturals plain erythritol in the pantry that I never opened. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, just a quick question, perhaps this is a silly one but here goes. When your recipe asks for ground flax seeds, is it okay to use ground flax meal in its place? I assume it's the same product but with the flax meal being so fine I thought maybe the texture might make a difference? Thanks. Maria
ReplyDeleteHi Maria -- not a dumb question at all -- ground flax seeds is the same as flax meal (some people prefer to grind their own flax seeds. I buy it already ground (flax meal) and it is very finely ground and I only use the golden because it's milder tasting. The brown can be stronger tasting. Hope that helps! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi GG,
ReplyDeleteSo excited to try these for a cookie exchange next month. I'm the only wheat-free participant, but everyone's looking forward to tasting these. I'm curious, you have not added salt. I always add a pinch of celtic salt to baked goods. Will that be OK this time too?
Hi Linda -- yes, it will be perfectly fine to add some salt! I hope you enjoy them. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, I forgot. Can I use pulse on food processor to coarsely chop cranberries. First time and anxious!
ReplyDeleteThanks
Hi Linda -- yes, that is how I chop my cranberries -- I pulse them in my Magic Bullet. They can be chopped by hand...but more than likely you will be chasing berries across your counter (and floor). :-)
ReplyDeleteOh these were....and are.....so good! I didn't even chop my cranberries and it didn't hurt a bit! Love hiding a few in the freezer!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris -- these are probably my favorite of my cranberry muffins! Glad you enjoyed them, too -- have never tried making them without chopping -- good to know they are good that way, too! :-)
ReplyDeleteHey, Gourmet Girl, did not realize you are in Atlanta. Me, too. It's a big ol' snowy mess, isn't it? Thanks for the cranberry recipe. I have a bag of cranberries in the fridge right now and was trying to think what to do with them. Stay warm (and off those icy roads)!
ReplyDeleteI can no longer get fresh cranberries in my area. Nor can we purchase frozen cranberries. Please tell me which you are using in the recipe this time of year.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous (in Atlanta)! Yes, it is a real mess here isn't it!!! I had a big bag, too and used some for these muffins and I used the rest to make cranberry coconut sauce (I like to swirl that into my Greek yogurt). Hope you enjoy them -- stay safe and warm! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Betty! I actually use fresh cranberries. I bought this bag a couple weeks ago and hope I can still find them. I will look this weekend to see if they are still available fresh. Do you live in the U.S.? Frozen could be used, too but since you don't have them, that doesn't help you. Does your stores carry them seasonally? :-)
ReplyDeleteJust tried these and they were FANTASTIC! only change (because I'm too lazy to go to the store) was switching out orange zest for the lemon zest. AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous -- So glad you enjoyed them -- and your substitution was a brilliant one swapping out the lemon zest for orange zest. These are some of my favorite muffins -- so glad you enjoyed them. :-)
ReplyDeleteMade these again for the 4th time. Added 1/8 c lemon juice and reduced the amount of coconut oil. Chopped some cranberries and put most in the blender for a smaller texture. Love them. So delicious!
ReplyDeleteHi Jan -- So glad you are enjoying them. These are probably my favorite muffins. I need to make some this weekend -- they are nice to have handy. I like to chop my cranberries in my little Magic Bullet, too to make them smaller chopped so you get them in every little bite! So glad you are enjoying them! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE lemon anything and am a huge muffin fan, not easy trying to eat wheat-free, and your recipes give me HOPE I'll be able to do it.
A couple of questions. Because I absolutely HATE coconut except coconut oil, I am wondering how to leave out the flaked coconut--can I just omit it, I'd rather just have the fruit and lemon. But what can I substitute for the coconut flour? Or how do I leave out both coconut flour and flaked coconut. I wish I liked them, they are so healthy.
I'm told that there's some type of coconut flour that doesn't taste so strongly coconut--any suggestions?
Thanks so much!!!
Joanne (905lovestostamp)
Wondering what these would be like with a lemon icing drizzled on the top, almost like a little coffee cake! I still cannot find the confectioner's Swerve (they are always out of stock), but I'm wondering if I could just pulse the erythritol to make it a whole lot finer... Probably a dumb idea...the pulsing to make a version of the confectioners Swerve until it is back in stock and I can order some.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Joanne (905lovestostamp)
Hi Joanne,
ReplyDeleteYes, actually you CAN pulse the granular Swerve in a blender (I've done it in a Magic Bullet small blender before)...and it will become confectioners style. Just let it settle a little bit before opening the blender because it becomes a bit of a "dust storm".
You can definitely leave out the coconut shreds without any issues at all -- I just added it for a bit of crunch. As far as replacing the coconut flour...its only 2 tablespoons so I would just substitute 2 tablespoons ground golden flax in its place. I have it in here to compensate for the moisture from the cranberries and coconut flour sucks up moisture like a sponge. Flax is quite absorbent, too...so that should work out fine.
I actually like these little muffins better the next day for some reason. I think the flavor and texture is best for some reason. But, I think that with a lot of things. Oh, before I forget, yes, I do believe a lemon drizzle would be great on these, too and really bring out the lemon flavor. Hope you enjoy them! :-)
Looks like a fabulous recipe. I can't get the Swerve sweetener here in Canada. Can I use white sugar 1 to 1 or use honey ??
ReplyDeleteThe sugar should work but not sure about the honey since it may change the consistency of the dough. You could try though. :-)
ReplyDeleteCan Splenda or Stevia be substituted for Swerve?
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteYou can use whatever your favorite sweetener is; but with stevia it would be significantly less volume so it might change the consistency of the muffins since you are reducing the dry ingredients by 1 cup.