Sugared & Stirred

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Breads

Glazed Orange Almond Muffins (dairy-free!)

by 4 Comments

I feel like I say this about a lot of the things I bake, but these muffins are seriously so delicious you’ll want to eat half of the batch at once! The fluffy Orange Almond Muffins are so good all on their own, but then you add the Orange Almond Glaze and OMG it’s one of the best muffins I’ve ever had!!

Anyone else out there remember the orange cinnamon rolls in a can (or still bake them)? We had those a lot growing up, and these glazed muffins took me right back there (in the best way possible!). Lots of freshly grated orange zest and pure almond extract make for a seriously good flavor combo in these muffins.

The recipe is a standard two-bowl set up. You’ll mix your wet ingredients and then your dry, and then gently mix them together. You can play with the amounts of orange zest and almond extract, but after three test batches, the recipe below reflects the amounts I feel are perfect for these muffins.

You can use regular all-purpose flour if you’d like, though the muffins may not come out as fluffy. The coconut sugar can be replaced with white or brown cane sugar or even Stevia in the raw, if you’re into that. If you’re looking for a vegan recipe, then you can simply use flax eggs in place of the regular eggs (see notes).

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Whole wheat pastry flour makes for excellently fluffy muffins and quick breads. These muffins come out light and fluffy thanks to this special flour.

Unsweetened applesauce is a great substitute for oil + adds natural sweetness and moisture.

Coconut sugar is my favorite low GI sweetener, which means it won’t spike blood sugar levels the same way other sweeteners (like cane sugar, honey, and maple syrup) do. It tastes nothing like coconut, so don’t fret if you’re worried about that!

Orange zest gives you lots of bang for your buck in these muffins. It brings powerful and delicious flavor and pretty sprinkle-like pops of orange to the glaze.

Orange juice adds a bit more of an orange flavor to the muffins. I tested the recipe without it but liked the muffins even more with the extra orange flavor!

Almond extract is one of my favorite flavors for cake. It pairs so perfectly with the orange in these muffins that the Orange Almond Glaze will forever replace any other orange glaze.

Yield: 10 Standard Muffins

Glazed Orange Almond Muffins

Glazed Orange Almond Muffins

Fluffy and moist Orange Almond Muffins made with fresh orange zest and pure almond extract, topped with the most delicious Orange Almond Glaze! If you're a fan of orange, then you will love these dairy-free, better-for-you muffins!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Muffins

  • 2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs, if vegan - see note below)
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 3 Tbsp light olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp nut milk (or oat milk)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2-3 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (2-4 oranges)

Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
  • 1 tsp finely grated orange zest (1/2-1 orange)
  • 4 1/2 tsp nut milk (or oat milk)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pan with liners or non-stick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Whisk in the olive oil, nut milk, orange juice, almond extract, and applesauce; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold in the liquid ingredients until no flour pockets remain. Add the orange zest and gently mix.
  4. Fill 10 muffin wells with batter. You want to fill them to about a 1/4" from the top. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a couple of crumbs. To avoid making multiple toothpick holes, you can lightly tap the top of a muffin and see if it springs back. If it's done, it will spring back without leaving a finger dent.
  5. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack. Allow muffins to cool totally before making your glaze.
  6. In a small saucepan, combine the powdered sugar, almond extract, and orange zest. Add nut milk 1 tsp at a time until you reach a consistency that is thin enough for spreading but pours off a spoon (it will thin more once it's warmed up).
  7. Heat glaze on low heat, stirring constantly, until just warm to the touch. Remove from heat and dip each muffin into the warm glaze, allowing the extra glaze to drip off before turning the muffin over. Glaze will crust within a few minutes so work fast! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

For Vegan: use 2 flax eggs in place of the regular eggs. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp water; let rest for 5 minutes to thicken.

All-purpose flour will work just fine in place of the whole wheat pastry flour

You will have leftover glaze, but I found that it's easier to dip the muffins if there's a bit more to work with. You can cut the recipe by 1/3 if you'd like

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 401Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 6gSugar: 27gProtein: 11g

calculated nutrition information is an estimate - you will not use all of the glaze, so the numbers are a bit skewed

© Rachael Ng | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

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Other orange recipes you may like:

Grain-Free Orange Brownies
Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Cranberry Orange Crumb Muffins
Vegan Orange Cranberry Swirl Bread
Vegan Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Chip Muffins (dairy-free!)

by 4 Comments

Sometimes you just need a simple and quick chocolate chip muffin. I mean, what’s better than biting into a fluffy, moist muffin loaded with melted chocolate chips?! Not a lot. That’s what.

And these muffins are all of that and more since they’re sweetened with low GI coconut sugar (which doesn’t taste like coconut!) and unsweetened applesauce! Coconut sugar acts a bit like brown sugar, which is why these muffins take on that delicious caramel-like color.

You can play around with this recipe, adding more or less chocolate, adding nuts, changing up the spices, or even making them vegan or gluten-free (see my notes below). Quick breads, like these muffins, are easy to manipulate, so have fun! And, as always, happy baking.

Yield: 9 Standard Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

These chocolate chip muffins are ultra fluffy and loaded with chocolate! They're made free of dairy + sweetened with low GI coconut sugar and unsweetened applesauce.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs, room temp
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 + 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with 9 liners or spray with olive oil. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut sugar. Add the applesauce, almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, mixing until ingredients are well combined; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until nearly combined. Add 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips, gently mixing until no flour pockets remain.
  4. Divide the batter into the 9 prepared muffin wells, filling them nearly to the top, and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a few crumbs.
  5. Allow the baked muffins to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

I like using whole wheat pastry flour in my muffins as it lends to a fluffy, moist muffin. All-purpose flour will work just fine, or you could even use a mix of 1/2 regular whole wheat + 1/2 all-purpose

For Vegan: replace the two eggs with two flax eggs. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp water. Allow to thicken for around 5 minutes.

For Gluten-Free: replace the flour and baking powder + baking soda with the following...

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp white rice flour

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp GF oat flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

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The post contains affiliate links, which allow me to continue running Sugared & Stirred. Thank you for your support!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

9

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 337Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 247mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 5gSugar: 17gProtein: 9g

Calculated nutrition information isn't always accurate.

© Rachael Ng | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

Gluten-Free Healthier Banana Nut Bread

by 1 Comment

Ever since my GF Zucchini Choc Chip Muffins, I have been shook at how simple it can be to create a delicious and moist quick bread with the texture of a regular glutenous bread. I’m sure we’ve all had at least one bad experience with a gluten-free muffin or cookie that just didn’t live up to our expectations. Well, this bread. This bread! It’s good. It’s moist. It tastes just like the real deal. And it’s better for you than other sugar loaded banana breads!

I took my favorite Healthier Banana Nut Bread and simply swapped out the flour for my own GF flour/starch blend! Once you have all of your ingredients compiled, this recipe is so easy! I like to bake this bread at a lower temperature for a tad longer just to make sure it comes out nice and moist – as I think a banana bread should be. Feel free to omit the walnuts and add in your favorite mix-ins – white or dark chocolate chips, blueberries, poppy seeds, etc. And as always, happy baking!

Gluten-Free Healthier Banana Nut Bread
Makes one 9×5” loaf

1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs*, room temp
3 ripe bananas (~1 1/3 cup mashed banana)
1/2 cup almond milk, room temp
3 Tbsp applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup oat flour
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup almond flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour/starch
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a loaf pan with olive oil and then line with parchment paper, making sure you a couple of parchment “tabs” overhanging the sides to make for easy removal of your baked loaf. It’s very important to make sure all four sides of your pan are lined with parchment (and not just non-stick spray) as the almond flour will cause the loaf to stick. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2.) In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and honey. Whisk in the eggs and then the mashed banana, almond milk, applesauce, and vanilla until totally combined; set aside.

3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, tapioca flour/starch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients and gently mix until nearly combined. Add in the chopped walnuts, mixing gently until no flour pockets remain. Feel free to get creative with your mix-ins (add chocolate chips, poppy seeds, or other fruit!).

4.) Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake at 300°F for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out with crumbs. The lower temp + longer cook time yields a moist banana bread.

5.) Allow your baked loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently using the parchment paper to lift it up and onto a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life.

*you can use 2 flax eggs if vegan: 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water, mix and allow to thicken for a couple of minutes

Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins (dairy-free)

by 2 Comments

I’m so excited to bring you guys these Gluten-Free Muffins! Some of you have been asking for GF recipes, and I’m happy to report that these muffins are also dairy-free, can easily be made vegan, and they taste like regular, glutenous muffins! Yes!! While researching how to come up with my own GF flour mix, I stumbled upon this super helpful formula by The Heritage Cook – check it out if you’re interested in coming up with your own mix!

These muffins are a super moist (thank you, zucchini!), better-for-you muffin that I think you’ll love. Once you have all of your ingredients ready, they’re super easy to get together. As noted in the recipe below, I recommend using paper muffin liners, along with non-stick spray. These muffins will stick to your pan without a liner (thank you, almond flour), and they may even stick to your liners – I found that spraying the inside of the liners with olive oil remedied this. Happy baking!

Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 9 regular muffins

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp white rice flour
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp GF oat flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
2 large eggs, room temp (or two flax eggs* if vegan)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 1/2 medium zucchinis)
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips + more to top each muffin

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°F and line your muffin pan with liners. Then, spray the liners with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray). I don’t recommend making these muffins without liners, as baked goods made with almond flour tend to stick. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.

3.) Shred your zucchini until you have 1 1/2 cups. Then place the zucchini shreds on a paper towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out and discard the excess juice. Add zucchini shreds to your wet ingredients, breaking up the clumps and mixing in.

4.) Pour wet ingredients into dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain. Mix in the chocolate chips. Fill the muffin wells all the way to the top (I distributed my batter between 9 muffin wells). Top each muffin with extra chocolate chips.

5.) Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a few crumbs. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove each muffin and enjoy warm or allow to cool on the cooling rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!

*two flax eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water. Allow “eggs” to thicken for a few minutes before adding to your mix

Chocolate Carrot Turmeric Protein Muffins (dairy-free!)

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I came up with these Protein Muffins on a whim last week when my husband was talking about needing a snack at work. We love a good muffin, and what’s better than a low sugar, protein veggie muffin? Yep. These muffins have a lot going on. Carrots, turmeric, protein powder, chocolate – the works. And my husband loved them! These muffins are fluffy, super moist (never gonna be sorry for that adjective) and as easy as an other muffin!

If you don’t have access to a Turmeric Protein Powder, don’t fret. You can use whatever protein powder you have on hand (vanilla, chocolate, or unflavored would be best) + one or two teaspoons of turmeric. I chose to use half Stevia in the Raw (not sponsored) and half coconut sugar for better flavor. Feel free to replace the coconut sugar with more Stevia for an even lower sugar option. And the chocolate chips are optional! I sprinkled a few over each muffin pre-bake for a bit of sweetness. You could add more to your batter or leave them off totally. Happy baking!

Chocolate Carrot Turmeric Protein Muffins
Makes 9 regular muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup Turmeric Protein Powder*
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup Stevia in the Raw
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
2 large eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot (about 3 large carrots)
~1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your muffin pan with paper liners or spray with olive oil (or other non-stick spray). Bring your two eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2.) In a large bowl, sift the flours, protein powder, and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until everything is well combined; set aside.

3.) In a medium bowl, mix together the stevia, coconut sugar, and melted coconut oil. Add in the almond milk, eggs, and vanilla, whisking until everything is combined. Grate your carrot and squeeze out and discard of (or keep!) the juice. Stir in the shredded carrot, breaking up any chunks.

4.) Fold wet ingredients into dry until no flour pockets remain. Fill muffin wells nearly to the top. If desired, sprinkle chocolate chips on top of unbaked muffins.

5.) Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean/with a few crumbs. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat to enjoy!

*you can also use 1/2 cup vanilla or plain protein powder + 1-2 tsp turmeric