Blackberry Almond Muffins

April is one of my favorite months of the year.

The weather is perfect, we can spend our mornings and afternoons outdoors basking in the glorious sunshine.
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With this being my first spring as a mama, I have made a list of all the fun outdoor activities I want to participate in with my husband and little man before the excessive heat warnings of our city return come May. From the zoo to leisurely picnics in the park, outdoor shopping trips and patio brunches, it’s important to have healthy snacks with us while we are out on our adventures.

I started really getting into baking, and primarily Paleo baking, when I was pregnant with Grey and I actually dreamed of this recipe before I got into the kitchen to make it a reality. In addition to the weather, I love that spring and summer brings about colorful berries and I love experimenting with them in new ways.

INGREDIENTS

Dry

• 2 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour blend
• ½ cup almond flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp sea salt

Wet

• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract

Fold In

• 1½ cups fresh blackberries
• ¼ cup sliced almonds

Optional Bakery Topping

• Extra sliced almonds
• Turbinado sugar for sprinkling 

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour blend, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, almond milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
• Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Gently fold in the blackberries and sliced almonds. If the berries are large, halve them first to prevent the batter from becoming too wet.
• Fill each muffin cup about ¾ full.
• Sprinkle the tops with extra sliced almonds and a pinch of turbinado sugar.
• Bake for 22–26 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.