Breakfast muffins should be delicious but definitely not full of processed sugar. This paleo muffin recipe has NO added sugar and the muffins are naturally sweetened with dates. Perfect for a grab ‘n go breakfast or an afternoon snack. Freezer friendly for meal prep too!
This breakfast muffins post is sponsored by Eggland’s Best. Thanks for supporting the brands that allow me to keep creating delicious food and healthy recipes in the Cotter kitchen!
First of all, how is it already August? Almost back to school?! Gosh darn I wish I could go back to my 12 year old self and tell her to LIVE IT UP each summer. Why? Because yes, time goes by way too fast when you’re adulting.
Secondly, a huge thank you to one of my readers for inspiring this breakfast muffin recipe. She bought my Nourishing Bowls cookbook and used the sticky date cake yogurt bowls recipe to make mini muffins. I thought it was pure genius!
So I played with the recipe and am sharing it with you today. It’s seriously so simple and perfect for back to school snackage or a quick breakfast to go. I call them POWER MUFFINS. You may call them whatever you’d like. Either way, they are going to nourish you with natural, real food ingredients like eggs, almonds, dates, etc.
You ready to talk nutrition, back to school, and power breakfast muffins?
Let’s do this!
First things first, you might be wondering….
Are breakfast muffins healthy?
I think if we’re being honest, most of you already know the answer to this question. But as a refresher, not all breakfast muffins are healthy, especially if they have refined sugars and high starch flour in them. But these paleo muffins are in fact very nutritious! Wanna know why? Because the ingredients are nutritious!
Ingredients in a healthy muffin recipe:
EGGS
Do you know how nutritious eggs are? Some people believe eggs are unhealthy because of the cholesterol. I suppose if you eat two dozen a day, that might be the case. But eggs are ALSO great sources of:
- Choline for brain health
- Protein
- Vitamin D
- Omegas
All needed to JUMP START your DAY. As a result, eggs are perfect for back to school breakfasts and meal prep. I use Eggland’s Cage Free brown eggs to boost the nutrition in the “breakfast-to-go style” muffins.
Did you know that Eggland’s Best eggs contain more nutrients and less saturated fat than regular eggs? Yep! Plus —> Eggland’s Cage Free Brown Eggs contain more than double the amount of Omega – 3’s. Omega – 3 fatty acids have many powerful health benefits for your body and brain.
But since we’re on the topic of back to school fuel, let’s focus on how studies have shown that omega 3’s can help improve attention and task completion (source). So yes, these breakfast muffins are a win-win here. In my humble opinion. 😉
NATURAL, PLANT-BASED SWEETENERS
Now, about sugar. We aren’t using it because we don’t need to! These breakfast muffins are sweetened with nature’s candy – DATES! Specifically, date paste.
Date paste is simply dates that are soaked and blended. It easily replaces the unhealthy sugars in other breakfast muffin recipes.
As a result, the nutrition label for these muffins may appear like they have same the amount of sugar as regular muffins. The difference is the sugar is all natural. Dates have been used as a natural sweetener for centuries. They’re no less sugary than honey or maple syrup, and they won’t spike your blood sugar.
See? You don’t need honey, maple syrup, or raw sugar at all. The taste is just magical as well! Now, if you are counting carbs, you should know that the granola topping on the muffins is optional. Because yes, granola can be high in carbs.
If you’re looking for a gluten free, low carb treat, make a Creamy Cocoa Coconut Low Carb Shake instead.
Cooking Tip for Making Fluffy Paleo Muffins
The secret to extra fluffy grain free muffins is to whisk the eggs with the milk and oil first, then combine. Too much egg not balanced with sugar and fat can produce dry or chewy results.
So, as a recap:
All in all, these naturally sweetened breakfast muffins are:
- refined sugar free
- grain free
- paleo compliant
- dairy free
- rich in fiber
- high protein
- chock full of omega 3’s
- plentiful with Vitamin E for glowy, perfect skin
And of course, freezer friendly, perfect for breakfast on the go, and they are DELICIOUS and NATURALLY sweet!
Breakfast Muffins with No Added Sugar (Paleo)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 7-8 standard-sized muffins or 14 mini muffins 1x
Description
These naturally sweetened breakfast muffins have NO added sugar because they’re sweetened with dates!
Great for back to school and breakfast on the go. Grain free, paleo, and delicious!
If doubling the batter to make a double batch of breakfast muffins, please read my notes first!
Ingredients
- 11–12 dates, soaked in purified water (optional 1 tablespoon raw honey )
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon tapioca or arrowroot starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder – double active
- 1/2 cup non dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil, naturally refined
- 2 large Eggland’s Cage free brown eggs
- 1/2 cup or handful of chopped nuts or granola
Instructions
- To make the date paste, soak the dates in purified water for 1 to 2 hours. Discard all of the water except 2 tablespoon (15 ml) after soaking.
- Blend the dates together to create a sticky paste. Feel free to add 1 tbsp honey if you’d like it sweeter. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a muffin pan with liners or make sure the muffin pan is well greased.
- Place the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca starch, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl, and stir the ingredients to combine. In a separate, smaller bowl, mix the oil, non dairy milk and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry flour mixture, stirring to combine. Add the sticky date paste and 2 eggs, and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Scoop muffin batter into muffin liners (in pan) filling 3/4 full. Repeat until 6-7 muffin liners are filled.
- Sprinkle with topping of choice; gluten free granola, nuts, etc.
- Place muffin pan in oven on center rack and bake at 350F for 23-28 minutes or until batter comes out clean on a toothpick.
- Remove and allow the muffins to cool completely. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Notes for doubling batter – You may double the batter, but the texture and baking times will vary. Do not double the date paste, just add an extra 1/3 cup maple syrup or raw honey with the paste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: healthy breakfasts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 203
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 36.8 mg
- Fat: 7.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.3 g
- Fiber: 3.7 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 53.1 mg
Keywords: breakfast muffins, paleo muffins, no added sugar, grain free muffins, date paste
Phew, that was a very informational recipe post for a Monday. But hey, now you’re ready to get things done, right? First up, let’s bake (muffins)!
Keep up with Eggland’s Best on social media, Instagram, twitter, Facebook. They are full of recipe inspiration!
Cheers and have a great week!
LC
MORE EASY HOMEMADE SNACK RECIPES HERE!
This recipe is part of our 10 Easy Homemade Snacks collection. Check it out!
