Apple-Apricot Fruit-Sweetened Muffins

These Apple-Apricot Fruit-Sweetened muffins are also gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, tree-nut-free and vegan. Truly an elimination diet muffin, yet flavorful and versatile. Because they are not very sweet, they are almost a scone.

An elimination diet recipe

There are quite a few variations on elimination diets but all are based on the same premise: that we each have food sensitivities, if not outright allergies. We may not be allergic enough for a doctor to detect a specific food as an allergen to us. But if we spend a certain amount of time (three weeks is often suggested) without eating the most common allergens, then add them back one by one, we can often learn which foods to stop eating for a longer period.

We are about a week into an elimination diet for my daughter-in law, who already eats gluten-and-dairy free. Now we are trying to figure out what might help with my grandson spitting up. She was advised that she to eliminate sugar, corn, soy, eggs, nuts, spicy foods, citrus, onions, and garlic, as well as broccoli and other members of the cabbage family. These little muffins are pretty tasty!

My hat's off to those of you who are dealing with allergies and sensitivities to particular foods all the time! Many have said this: the most important thing to do is to focus on all the amazing foods one CAN eat - and there are lots.

So far we like these muffins best with a combination of apples and dried, soaked apricots. That is the variation in the recipe below. If you want them slightly sweeter, substitute a date or two for some of the apple.

Add leftover pumpkin to these muffins and other variations

• I even made one batch with some of the last pie pumpkin I had saved from fall’s amazing Colorado pumpkins. All those wonderful carotenes gave a slightly orange color to the muffins and made me feel healthy as well as thrifty. I added an equal amount of mashed banana. I thought they could have used a couple of dates -- next time!
• And of course, if you aren’t limiting all the foods we are, you can add nuts or substitute eggs for the flax seed and liquid. (see notes) If you are baking for young children, little raisin faces are fun. 

Tips on using a food processor for muffins

• These apple-apricot muffins go together incredibly quickly when you mix them up in a food processor. Pay careful note of the order of ingredients, though, especially the coconut oil and the oats, and note that there is a bowl-and-spoon procedure too.
• With the food processor, the coconut oil is added to the dry ingredients, rather than the wet. This is so it will be cut into the flour as it would be with a pastry cutter. This method is easier for me because coconut oil is solid at the cool temperatures we are having in Denver, and is hard to stir in by hand.

You can certainly melt your coconut oil if you don’t have a food processor. But that means a glass measuring cup to clean, and you will get less of the flaky texture from small bits of the coconut oil!

It also helps that the food processor chops the fruit and you can leave some small bits in the muffins for texture. Otherwise, I’d either chop it very fine or puree it.

The oats are added last, once the other dry ingredients have been blended with the wet. This keeps the oats from being processed completely into flour. It’s nice having some texture as well as flavor from the oats.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #amealinmind on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with. Thank you so much!!

Other muffin recipes for you!

Cranberry-Pecan Pumpkin Muffins; Gluten-Free 

Chocolate-Walnut Banana Muffins

Carrot-Chickpea Apple Muffins

Blueberry Lemon Almond-Flour Muffins

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Apple-Apricot Fruit-Sweetened Muffins

These apple-apricot fruit-sweetened muffins are very mildly sweet from the fruit and have a pleasant, light texture. They go together in ten minutes and are ready in 30 minutes total. They are also gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and tree-nut-free. Truly an elimination diet muffin, yet flavorful and versatile. Because they are not very sweet, they are almost a scone.

Course Breakfast, Low-sugar, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, fruit-sweetened muffin, Gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, tree-nut-free, vegan muffins, vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Beth Allingham of www.amealinmind.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup flour such as Pillsbury gluten-free, cassava, rice or other preferred gluten-free flour
• ¼ cup ground flax seeds
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 cup fruit puree or chopped fruit see note* (such as 1 apple and 2 dried apricots, soaked for a few minutes)
• ½ cup coconut milk or almond milk if you can tolerate tree nuts
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• pinch sea salt
• Oil for greasing muffin cups
• Raisins for garnish optional

Instructions

In the food processor

•     Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin cups.
•     Combine in food processor: flour, ground flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Whizz for a few seconds until blended.
•     Process in the coconut oil until in bits the size of small peas, then the fruit, then the coconut milk.
•     Pulse in the oats until mixed.
•     Fill muffin cups about halfway if the batter is moist. If it is drier, form it into balls and place into muffin cups or onto parchment paper. For mini-muffins you will use a little less than 2 tablespoonfuls per muffin, and for regular-size muffins about ¼ cup batter. If you decide to garnish with raisins, press them into the tops of the muffins.
•     Bake for 20 minutes (for mini’s) or 25 (for regular muffins) until golden brown and cooked through.
• Cool and serve.

With bowl and spoon:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin cups
•     Mix oats, flour, ground flax seeds, baking powder, and baking soda together.
•  In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients together.
•  Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir until blended. Form into muffins as described above.
•  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
•  Cool and serve.

Notes

1. Egg equivalent = 1 tablespoon flax meal to 3 tablespoons water. You can add more if the batter is dry. See more detail on using flax as an egg substitute here. 
2. I tried one batch with quinoa flakes instead of oats, thinking to make a grain-free recipe, but unfortunately there was a slight bitter flavor from the quinoa.
3. If your apple is more sweet than sour, add a teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar to the wet ingredients for flavor.

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