Gluten Free Vegan Almond Flour Chia Seed Muffins

There are some breakfast food trends I simply cannot wrap my head around. Granola popsicles, anybody? Smoothie bowl? I would rather put that granola back in a bowl and the smoothie in a popsicle – or a glass. But baking with nut flours? Now that’s a trend I can run with, because it gives me such great things to eat as these vegan Almond Flour Chia Seed Muffins. I honestly can’t think of a better way to start the day, but these muffins would also work as an anytime treat. They are moist, full of nutty flavor, and have the divine and healthful crunch of chia seeds. Cracking the recipe for the perfect Almond Flour Chia Seed Muffins took a little work, but these delicious little nuggets were well worth the trouble. I’ve baked on and off with almond flour, but of late I’ve been trying to incorporate this healthy and delicious ingredient in more of my baked recipes, like these vegan gluten-free and grain-free Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies and these Vegan Almond Flour Cookies. I love the taste of almond flour – it’s almost buttery without the butter, and it really is quite perfect in baked goods. Check to get new recipe updates by email.

I wanted to make this muffin almost entirely with almond flour, but cooking with any gluten-free flour presents a basic conundrum, because without gluten, it’s almost impossible to get the baked good to hold a shape. I didn’t want to use a gum, but after a couple of trial runs during which the muffins caved in after baking, I got over that hurdle by using a small amount of starch in combination with oat flour (use oat flour labeled gluten-free if you have Celiac Disease or are trying to avoid all gluten), and then using chia seeds, which absorb liquid and help build and maintain structure. I really love the chia seeds in here– besides adding a welcome crunch, they are nutritious as anything and a perfect food to start the day. There’s very little sugar in here, and the muffins are lightly sweet without the almost cupcake-y, gummy sweetness you sometimes find in store-bought vegan muffins. I’ll leave you with the recipe now. Hope you guys have a fabulous weekend.