Growing up I was obsessed with hostess mini muffins, especially the blueberry and banana nut flavours. I mean they tasted pretty good, but i think it was also the fact that they fit in my little hands, and I got a whole package of muffins instead of just one!
I’d like to think I’ve grown out of my mini muffin madness and my taste buds are more refined, but truth is I still love those cute sweet treats. I decided to recreate my childhood fav into a healthier grain free treat that I could enjoy when a craving hit. These mini muffins are free from gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, nuts, and refined sugar. They pair beautifully with a hot cup of herbal tea as an afternoon treat, or can be packed neatly into lunch boxes for healthy snacking.
Grain Free Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins
Prep Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 25 mins
Makes 24 mini muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 tbsp orange zest (from 1 – 2 large oranges)
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- ¾ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F) and lightly grease a mini muffin tin with coconut oil or butter.
- Sift the dry ingredients together two times through a fine mesh sieve. This will ensure a light texture when baked. Transfer ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Place 3 egg whites into a stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile place egg yolks, orange zest, orange juice, pumpkin, maple syrup and vanilla into a small bowl. Gently mix to combine.
- Combine egg yolk mixture with dry ingredients and blend.
- Fold 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Once incorporated, transfer remaining egg whites and cranberries into batter and mix to combine. Do not over mix as this will knock the air from the beaten egg whites.
- Drop heaped teaspoons of batter into greased muffin tins. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and tops are golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, store in a sealed container for up to 1 week in the fridge. Muffins can also be frozen for up to 3 months
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Click here for a printable download: Grain Free Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins
For more grain free baking check out my Paleo Banana Bread and other recipes. Or check out allergy friendly wednesdays at The Gluten Free Pantry.
Questions:
- What was one of your favourite childhood treats?
- Do you prefer mini sized or mega sized muffins?
I am a huge fan of grain-free muffins! I just made cranberry muffins last week, but I really like your addition of orange and pumpkin to them. I would love to have you share this great recipe tomorrow on Allergy-Free Wednesdays if you get a chance: http://www.glutenfreepantry.blogspot.com/p/allergy-free-wednesdays.html
Hey Laura, thanks for stopping by!!! I’d love to share the recipe on your site for allergy free wednesdays
ahh yes, i was obsessed with hostess too! these will be a new obsession now.
A new healthier obsession….I love hostess but i’m pretty sure all that hfcs isn’t too good:)
Love mini muffins – normal sized ones are generally too filling I find. Great post x
Thanks oni! yeah i have to agree….cafe sized muffins are way too big. Smaller is cuter as well!
You’ve snuck all sorts of goodies into these muffins, nice work! I love cranberry orange stuff!
Yes i did….pumpkin makes for a serve of veg!
Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe on Allergy-Free Wednesdays! Be sure to check back next week for recipe highlights (including the top 3 reader choice submissions and hostess favorites).
Be Well!
how many calories are each muffin. i am only eating 1200 a day and im looking for a healthy snack
These look tasty-taste! Are those berries moldy? I see fuzzy stuff!
The cranberries are actually frozen so i think they just have a bit of ice around them. Perfectly fresh and delicious!