We are on a muffin kick lately! These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (paleo and grain-free) are SO easy, so warm and comforting in the cold winter months, freezable to re-heat on busy mornings and they help keep me on track with getting back into my paleo groove. I always find myself coming back to this diet when I need to lower inflammation, help out my cycle, prep for pregnancy, lower my intake of sugar (preach) or drop a couple of pounds. 

The last breakfast recipe I posted were my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, so naturally, there is a paleo muffin thing happening in our home. 

Other muffin favorites lately have been my Carrot Zucchini Muffins, my Blackberry Almond Muffins and not techincally a muffin but my yeast-free cinnamon rolls keep showing up on the weekends ;)

This was my first time using a recipe with JUST cassava flour (I know, I'm so late to that game) - I've usually mixed it with other flours, but today I made a simple cassava muffin sweetened only with bananas and a dash of vegan chocolate chips.

In our taste test, I thought the family may find them to be not sweet enough but the consensus was that everyone approved and my toddler ate FOUR of them before lunchtime. 

So, they'll be hanging out on the meal plan long term.

Enjoy the recipe below and if you make a bunch, freeze some and invite me over for a warm mug of tea because I'm craving some girl time in my busy schedule and am always down for good convo and muffins.

Also! If you're wanting these completely refined-sugar free and fully paleo compliant, nix the chocolate chips and add some fresh or dried berries, nuts or raisins. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cassava Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon 
• 1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Ripe Bananas
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 C. Avocado Oil 

​Directions
​

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a muffin tin with parchment paper liners (you won't regret switching to these!) and gather your ingredients, a whisk, a rubber spatula and a large mixing bowl. 
• Place your two bananas in your bowl and mash until smooth.
• Add your eggs to your banana and whisk.
• Add in your avocado oil, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. 
• Whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.
• Add in your cassava flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt.
• Once all wet and dry ingredients are well blended, fold in your chocolate chips and any additional ingredients you are adding (nuts, berries, shaved coconut, raisins...)
• Fill your muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Enjoy warm and save the leftovers in the fridge for up to four days. You may freeze them and reheat for longer lasting muffins. 

As we entered into this new season of fall and a new home I wanted to move back into more Paleo breakfast options. I felt my energy starting to lag and cleaning up the diet with the removal of grains always helps me. I hadn't made many pumpkin dishes yet this year, so it was time, wasn't it? It. Was. Time.

Grey loved whipping these up in the kitchen with me and they were super simple to make. Moist, chocolaty with just the right hint of pumpkin and spice, we made an extra batch to have as breakfasts throughout a busy week. 

INGREDIENTS
​

• 1 3/4 C. almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 c. nut or seed butter
• 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
• 1 c. canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 c. dairy-free chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin pan with parchment cups or grease with avocado or coconut oil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin, seed or nut butter, vanilla and syrup together.
• In a small bowl, mix almond flour, baking soda and spices. 
• Add your dry ingredients to your wet and fold in your chocolate chips. 
• Fill muffin cups 1/2-3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean when inserted. 
• Top with additional chocolate chips if desired and allow to cool before enjoying. 

​

What pumpkin recipes are you whipping up this season?

This past weekend on Friday night we decided to visit our new property and take Grey camping on site! I purchased the hubs a blackout tent for Christmas and wanted to try it out before braving the true wilderness with a toddler.

I'm happy to report we all had a BLAST, invited some friends to boot and cooked our dinner, dessert and sunrise breakfast over an open flame.

Returning home smelling of smoke and the outdoors, we were craving a more fanciful breakfast come Sunday. We whipped up these little scrumptious Veggie Loaded Baked Egg Bites with some vegetables and fresh OJ and it was just the perfect return back into home life. 

INGREDIENTS:
​

• avocado oil cooking spray
• 9 large organic eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
• black pepper
• 3 tablespoons thawed frozen kale, drained
• 3 tbsp diced organic tomatoes
• 3 tbsp diced onion
• 3 tbsp diced bell pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
  
• Spray muffin tin with avocado oil cooking spray.
• In a large bowl whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Mix in kale, tomatoes, onion and bell pepper. 
• Fill muffin tin cups and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until set.
• Serve with fresh juice, vegetables or breakfast sausage. 

These recipes are comforting, fall inspired and healthy. Enjoyable any time of year, these gluten-free and dairy-free (and most paleo!) meals are a way to bake something just for you or to enjoy utilizing your Thanksgiving leftover ingredients.

​Whip up these breakfasts before hitting the sales on Friday or over a lazy weekend morning recovering from the hustle and bustle of the holiday. 

One of my most popular recipes this time of year, my Glazed Maple Donuts are warm, soft with a hint of sweetness and the warmth of fall. 

Get the full recipe here. 

​This breakfast Turkey Hash is hearty, warm and filling. Lemons For Lulu packed it with nutrient dense vegetables such as brussel sprouts and mushrooms. A great weekend meal choice as a way to use your leftovers!

Get the full recipe here. 

I knew I had to include these by Tastes Lovely after I saw you guys' love of belgian waffles. My Paleo Belgian waffles are a treat for anytime but these add a favorite flavor of fall - pumpkin! 

Click here for the full recipe for Crispy Paleo Pumpkin Waffles
Click here for my Paleo Belgian Waffles. 

Laura Fuentes gives us an original, gluten free AND paleo versions of her Glazed Pumpkin Scones. A super easy breakfast to wrap up in the  morning with a  mug of hot coffee or tea to hit the shops, it's warm, comforting and the perfect taste of fall.

Get the full recipe here. 

Laura of Joy Food Sunshine gives us a genius way to leftover holiday veggies while still getting a treat. These Paleo Zucchini cookies are also a great  way to sneak veggies into the kiddos. Like my Carrot Zucchini muffins, these breakfast cookies are toddler and kid friendly! 

Get the full recipe for her cookies here.
​Get the full recipe for my muffins here. 

You know when you get breakfast envy?

Like when you go to a restaurant and you order but then the person who you're dining with, their food arrives and it looks way better than your food and so you're a little sad inside.

That's how this omelette was born. 

Never a fan of green onions growing up and even into adulthood, my husband offered to make me an omelette one morning and it was the veggie we had on hand so I declined. I made myself my regular Paleo meal of scrambled eggs, sweet potato and bacon and felt like I had a rock star breakfast.

While cooking up his omelette he ran out of mozzarella and asked if he could use my Daiya mozzarella and once it was done and placed on his plate, I looked at my dish and looked at his and I knew I ordered wrong. Even though I was in my own kitchen.

And once I tasted it, it became a definite craving many weekends to follow, including this weekend. 

Who'd have known? There was a green onion fan deep down inside of me. It just needed to be in this yolky, cheesy breakfast creation. 

Ingredients:

• 3 Organic Eggs
• 1/4 C. Daiya Mozzarella Shreds
• 1/8 C. Chopped Green Onion
• Olive Oil Spray 

​Directions: 

• Spray frying pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium heat. 
• Crack eggs and separate yolk from the white allowing the three egg whites to fall into pan.
• Place the three yolks on the left side of pan. 
• As it starts to cook, rotate the pan around so that the egg white covers the pan, ensuring full coverage to create your omelette. 
• Once whites have hardened, add in Daiya cheese, green onion and fold omelette over until cheese is melted. 
• Serve hot with shredded sweet potato, bacon or breakfast juice. 

Waffles have become a new weekend obsession around here. 

Mr. Charming and I bought a waffle maker many, many MONTHS ago. O.K. it may even been a year or two, who knows, and it just sat and sat, All lonely, just begging to make fluffy brunch goodness. 

I finally got around to whipping up an Oat Flour Waffle Recipe last month that was super tasty and we paired them with fresh coconut whip cream and blueberries. But, when we are on our Paleo kick, or for my Paleo readers and clients, I wanted to come up with a recipe that was Paleo friendly and equally fluffy and yummy. 

And while the two look similar, their tastes and ingredient make-ups are quite different and cater well to different dietary needs. While these are Paleo, my nut-free readers enjoy the Oat Waffles and vice versa for those seeking something grain free in these beauties. 

Mr. Charming and I realize that having breakfast items made on hand and in the freezer to reheat has been SUPER helpful in these early days of parenthood. We've made breakfast burritos, pancakes and waffles almost every morning and it's allowed us to spend snuggly family time with Little One before Mr. Charming has to head off to work. 

​These are best served hot, with a mug of coffee (decaf for me) with a rich little drizzle of pure maple syrup and a pat of vegan butter. 

Ingredients

Dry
1 cup blanched almond flour
1 cup tapioca flour
2 TBSP coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp sea salt

Wet
2 organic eggs
¼ cup melted coconut or avocado oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup almond milk (or dairy free milk of choice) 
½ tsp organic vanilla extract

Directions

Spray or coat waffle iron as directed. 

Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. 

Add wet ingredients and mix for 2 minutes or until batter has thickened slightly. It will still be thin. 

Fill waffle maker with batter and follow your appliances instructions.

​Serve with maple syrup, honey or fresh fruit. 

Waffles can be frozen and then reheated at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes. 

Try saying that recipe name five times fast. It may be a mouthful but it's because these little beauties themselves are a mouthful.

​A mouthful of fall deliciousness. 

I can't take 100% credit for this recipe. I was sitting down last week brainstorming fall recipe ideas and Mr. Charming came up with the idea for these little beauties. Sitting at our dining room table his genius brain led him to say "what if you made a fall donut, something pumpkin, that was covered in an apple glaze or compote." 

Well done, Mr. Charming. Pumpkin and apple are two of the BEST things about this season. Marrying them in a glazey, sweet, gluten-free goodness? Um, yes please. Yes to all of that. It's like a pie donut. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.

The recipe below uses almond flour and egg, I do have a nut-free, egg-free recipe for this beauties, just know it does take a few more ingredients, all easy to find, but they do take a little longer. This variation is hearty and dense. Think traditional apple fritter, while the nut-free, egg-free are small and spongy in a GREAT way. Mr. Charming preferred those, as they have a more traditional donut consistency, while I like the dense nuttiness of these. 

We headed into the kitchen this weekend and just made batch after batch of donuts until we got the perfect ones. I tried a coconut flour one that was an epic fail. And then I wondered why I even baked that one because time and time again I prove to myself that 1.) I don't care for the taste of coconut flour baked goods, even though I love all other coconut products. And 2.) mastering coconut flour baking is an art form all its own. The donuts came out like little coconut egg-y souffles. Not as gross as that sounded, but certainly not decadent or edible. Which are two requirements for desserts or donuts in my book. 

Below, you will find the recipe for the winner. And again, for the nut-free, egg-free recipe click here. 

Ingredients:
Donuts:
dry:
2 C. Almond Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. ginger
3 TBSP. tapioca starch
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

wet:
2 organic eggs
1/3 c. organic canned pumpkin
1/4 c. honey
4 TBSP. coconut cream or coconut whipped cream (I used SoDelicious Whipped Cream)
1 tsp. organic vanilla extract


Glaze:
1 C. Corn-Free Confectioners Sugar (I use an organic cane sugar/tapioca starch blend)
2 TBSP. Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance Dairy-Free/Soy-Free)
1 1/2 TBSP. non-dairy milk

INGREDIENTS
scramble:
6 eggs
1/2 onion
1/2 tomato
1 cup spinach
1/2 avocado

fruit salad:
1 banana
10 strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS
Chop up onions and tomatoes and fry in a pan
Add in spinach and eggs and scramble together
Mix in avocado
Serve with fruit salad on the side

INGREDIENTS 
6 slices bacon
4 eggs
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375F
In a pan sauté the bacon until it begins to brown, but not fully cooked
In your muffin sheet grease the bottoms of 4 cups and line the edge of each one with one slice of bacon, set the remaining 2 slices of bacon aside for the sweet potato hash
Crack one egg into each cup and bake for 15 minutes
While thats cooking add the olive oil, sweet potato and onion to a pan and sauté until the sweet potatoes become soft
Chop up the 2 leftover slices of bacon and add to the pan and continue sautéing until cooked through
Season with salt and pepper
Eat and enjoy the yummy goodness!