Saturday, March 28, 2009

Chelsea's Paleo Banana-Nut Muffins


My daughter Chelsea just pulled this idea out of a hat one day and I was amazed how well it worked - you'd swear there was flour in these by the look of them. Talk about making a father proud! Probably the "last good idea" she'll ever come up with ;-) They're amazingly moist and taste like banana bread your mother would have made. They're quite simple - try 'em!

1/2 C Organic Unsweetened Coconut - 25g F, 10 g C
“Finely shredded for baking”
1 tablespoon Ground Almonds - 4 g F, 1 g C
1 Egg – 5g F, 7g P
¼ C chopped walnuts – 20g F
1 teaspoon Walnut Oil – 5g F
(Olive oil works too)
1 teaspoon Almond Butter – 2g F, 1 g C
3 tablespoon Blue Agave Sweetener –48g C
2 Med Bananas – 54g C

Mix thoroughly and put into 6 muffin tins. Bake at 375 for ~25 minutes. Each muffin is 19g C, 10g F, and some negligible protein. If you're looking for a balanced 5 block breakfast, combine this with 1 egg, 4 oz (cooked weight) of very lean meat (like turkey breast), and 1.5 - 2 cups of berries.
Guest Chef on the right....

21 comments:

  1. amazing recipes and even better ideas come from this site!! Thanks Steve, and Chelsea. Hey - Im starting my business this week - would it be okay with you to use some of your recipes?? Give me a call this week and well chat.

    Take care.....still waiting for that coffee.

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    1. I can't wait to try these muffins -- so nice to see a receipe that doesn't call for 8-10 eggs. I have been doing Paleo faithfully since January - Love it ! I have lost 56 pounds - only another 20 to go and I will have reached my goal. I will never look at food the same again, Paleo for life.

      Kathy

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  2. thank you for this recipe! i strayed a bit from the posted list of ingredients and it became non-paleo... but still delicious. subbed olive oil for walnut oil, peanut butter for almond butter, skipped the sweetener, and added 2 scoops of banana creme protein powder. i call them Manana Nut Muffins.

    per muffin:
    195 calories
    17g carb
    10.5g protein
    10g fat

    might add some cooked oatmeal (i know, i know) and another egg next time for more moisture.

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  3. Anthony - non paleo but better balanced. I've got some egg protein i've been meaning to experiment with. Who makes the banana creme protein? Still taste good huh? A zone balanced paleo muffin would be the holy grail! Anyone??

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  4. got that flavor from GNC. i bet vanilla would taste just as good.

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  5. Steve,
    Just surfed onto your blog searching for paleo zone inspiration. These recipes look fantastic!! This is my first day trying to eat paleo and I've been experimenting with the zone for a while. Paleo just makes so much sense. Must let you know how the recipes turn out. Keep up the good work and thanks.

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  6. Looks tasty! I thought baking was off the table for Paleo, but there is always a creative solution. Cool blog, Steve!

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  7. Fortunately, baking is totally allowed but all the foods you're eating should not HAVE to be baked - that's the "rule". U will think you're cheating when you have these muffins :-) but you're not! Try 'em and tell me how you like them.

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  8. These muffins are wonderful, Steve. The trouble is they don't last very long. Thanks for the great blog.

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  9. I made them and they're really good. Totally worth the mess I made in the kitchen. Without flour and leavening, the recipe actually worked without any changes at 7800 ft elev. Might add nutmeg next time. Thanks!

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  10. Another great recipe, and really easy. I nixed the walnuts and upped the ground almonds a bit. Cut back to 2 tblspns on the agave, 3 tblspns was too sweet for me (the bananas I used were really, really ripe). The second time I made them, I poured them out into 2 tblspns circles on parchment paper.... cookies! Next time I'm gonna add some finely shredded carrots for carrot, coconut, banana cookies. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  11. Steve - I made this with Cinnamon Swirl whey protein isolate from About Time (www.tryabouttime.com) instead of the coconut, and it was AWESOME! I think the protein is pretty Paleo-friendly...(although I'm still learning about Paleo and Zone so I could be wrong). The protein itself is an all natural whey isolate sweetened with Stevia - it has no artificial flavorings or artificial sweeteners, no growth growth hormones, zero carbs, etc. etc.

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  12. Hi I am new to the Paleo diet. Is banana part of this diet?

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  13. love these muffins!! has anyone tried this recipe as a loaf of banana bread?

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  14. Megs.. i've done it. It's a pretty moist recipe so keep cooking until a knife comes out clean.

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  15. Have made these twice in 3 days! love love love them!

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  16. Hello there & Happy Spring Steve...and everyone else !! I love this blog-great information & help here. I've been doing Paleo for 2 weeks now & it is still something to get used to.

    Question...I discovered "Zinkyada Pasta"-gluten/wheat/dairy free. Can I use it??

    I'm making Paleo Meatloaf tonight. Use 1 lb ground bison; powdered almonds (in leau of bread crumbs); egg; herbs & paleo ketsup. Feel free to use recipee everyone; Steve you can post it, from me to you. I'll add a good salad with veggies too.

    Thanks so much Steve--I'll be back for more. Tricia in Kenosha Wisconsin.

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  17. Hi Tricia! Welcome. - Did you mean Tinkyada Pasta? In other words, rice pasta? Gluten free is a good thing - no doubt - but paleo types don't eat rice either. Polished rice, or stuff made from it, is not the worst thing you can eat in small quantities. However, it is still a carbohydrate dense food with, I assume, a high glycemic index. If you're eating in reasonable macro-nutrient proportions, it will displace carbs from more desirable sources - like vegetables and fruits. Therefore, i would skip it :) Seriously, pasta is overrated. I had a nibble at costco the other day (because caveman are opportunists ;-) and i almost spit it out - blech. "There are no bread trees or pasta bushes." T.S. Wiley

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  18. Yes it's with 'rice pasta'...Oh darn, thought I could sneak that one. I'm still just a baby with this diet. :D
    I appreciate your honesty & I will NOT partake in it.

    Take care & all the best, Tricia

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  19. I just made these and they are delicious. Super moist as opposed to other muffins that I've made that are really dry. Thanks for sharing!!

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