Flourless Banana Collagen Muffins

I have been on a major baking kick lately, which is extremely unusual for me! Motivated by not being able to find the exact baked goods my body needs (yes, needs!) has brought me to get a little creative and branch out more into the baking world. The baked goods my body needs? Let me explain….

As much as I believe that food is medicine and healing through what we nourish ourselves with is essential, I also believe that at any given point regardless of what our diet is- enjoying delicious treats is a basic human right! I haven’t talked about it much because I am quasi-navigating it through pregnancy, but have been trying to get rid of a case of SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). While this is hard to battle while also growing a human inside of you, sticking to the diet as best I can is the safest way to address it at this point.

In short, the SIBO elimination protocol that I am (attempting to) follow requires cutting out sugar (except honey), grains and most grain free starchy foods. This makes most paleo baked goods off limits due to their use of root flours like cassava and potato. Thankfully there are ways to bake without those ingredients! I was inspired by the Detoxinista Pumpkin Bar recipe I also love to create a baked good that uses almond butter instead of any flours! I wanted something I could eat for breakfast that wasn’t too sweet (this recipe only uses 2 tbsp honey) and had enough protein to keep me full (each serving has 10 g collagen protein and 7+ g plant protein).

Spotty, browned bananas are a great alkalizing food that encourages good digestion!

Ingredients:

• 6 ripe spotty bananas

• 1 egg

• 2 c almond butter (salt, sugar and oil free is best)

• 1/2 tsp each spice: nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (without added sugar is best)

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 2 tbsp honey (local is best)

• 6 scoops (60 g) Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

• 1/2 c shredded raw coconut

• 12 pecan halves

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and put liners in a 12 muffin tin

• Peel and mash the bananas in a large bowl until an even consistency is reached

• Add remaining ingredients in order, stirring each in to form a batter

• Pour the batter into the muffin liners and top each muffin with a pecan half

• Bake for 25 minutes (checking at 20 minutes)- they usually begin to burn after 25

• Allow muffins to cool before removing from tin and enjoying (1 serving = 2 muffins, containing 17+ grams of protein!)

Enjoy them with a latte (see below!) for even more protein and a breakfast that keeps you satisfied all morning

Want to win a large (20 oz) container of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides? Head on over to my instagram page for the rules to enter! Offer expires 4/11/19 at 10 pm EST!

Make with…

Raspberry Leaf Coconut Tonic

Raspberry leaf is a girl's best friend! Seriously though, who would have thought the leaves of one of our favorite fruits would be so powerful? It's benefits to the female reproductive system are most commonly recognized as helpful during pregnancy, and you will find it in "pregnancy teas" in the tea aisle, however- these same benefits are helpful to us women at all stages of our reproductive lives. 

Raspberry Leaf has been known to:

• Alleviate symptoms of PMS

• Improve fertility

• Decrease pregnancy complications

This recipe includes a few of my other favorite women's health ingredients. Collagen peptides help make this tonic creamy and are known by many cultures for the wonders they do for your skin. When I was in Hong Kong, I saw collagen everywhere and learned that women steep a traditional collagen tea every morning for their skin health. Besides it benefitting our bones, hair, teeth and joint, it also is said to reduce cellulite and stretch marks. I use Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides powder in my smoothies and tonics including this one. 

Coconut butter is such a delicious compliment to the raspberry leaf! It makes the tonic extra frothy and in regards to women's healthy- it contains iron, which many of us are deficient of. Additionally, the "good fat" in coconut oil has been said to aid in balancing hormones. Vanilla and almond extract give the tonic flavor and cinnamon adds an extra kick while helping to stabilize blood sugar. Adding any additional adaptogens will bring further benefits based on your personal needs. I add reishi to it because that is my go to anxiety relief adaptogen but you can add pine pollen or ashwaganda to aid in additional hormonal balance. Please note, as I have shared many times, I am not a nutritionist or doctor and am sharing knowledge that I have gained through my own research. 

Cut down on time spent on weekly grocery trips by having frequently used staples on hand!

Download my Kitchen Checklist Now!

Powered By ConvertKit

Ingredients:

• 2 c hot water

• 2 tbsp melted coconut butter

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 10-20 g collagen peptides (remove for vegan option)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 1 raspberry leaf tea bag (I like this Yogi Tea) or 1 tbsp loose raspberry leaf

• Optional: adaptogens such as reishi (anxiety relief) or ashwaganda/pine pollen (hormone balancing)

Method:

• Warm up water for the tea while warming up the coconut butter. Put coconut butter jar in a bath of warm water for about 10 minutes to melt

• Steep the raspberry leaf tea for 6-8 minutes

• Combine the tea and remaining ingredients in a high speed blender

• Blend on high and pour into a mug, top with a little extra cinnamon and enjoy