Gluten Free Cranberry - Citrus Muffins (#12WksXmasTreats)

Making muffins ahead of time for the holiday rush is a great way to make sure you're fueling yourself properly amidst the craziness. If you're like my extended stepfamily, the Winter mornings begin at 4AM with a dash off to hockey practice, or like me and my mom you're jetting off to work while it's still dark out, running errands on the way home and still finding time to cook dinner, clean the house and do the laundry (never mind the multitasking on the holiday party nights!). Trips to the mall take on a whole new life too - you think just parking, finding, paying for and leaving with a gift would be a breeze, but something changes inside people at the shopping centres and that one-hour jaunt turns into a half a day!

At any rate, having a go-to snack stashed in the freezer can be a boon for your health and wallet... especially if you have food allergies, which mean a lot of the handy "mall food" is off-limits. These festive, seasonal muffins are not only gluten free, but they are nut, soy and egg free as well! Greek yoghurt, orange juice and coconut oil help keep these moist and rich tasting even after a few weeks in the freezer (wrap each individually in cling wrap and place in a zip-top freezer bag for best storage), so all you have to do is pop one in your lunchbox, hockey bag or purse before racing off - by the time you get the mid-morning (or afternoon!) munchies, they'll be thawed out and ready to chow on.

We're into week three of our 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted at Meal Planning Magic, and I can't wait to see what everyone else has to share too!


Gluten Free Cranberry - Citrus Muffins
Slightly adapted from Judith Finlayson's The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook: 125 Delicious Recipes from Amaranth to Quinoa to Wild Rice
Makes 12
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/4 cup hot water
2/3 cup non-fat plain Greek (or homemade) yoghurt
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp guar gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup honey-roasted sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh (or frozen, unthawed) cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a muffin tin well.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flaxseed and hot water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Beat in the yoghurt, orange juice and coconut oil until well blended.
4. Stir in the flours, starch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, guar gum, salt and nutmeg until blended.
5. Fold in the sunflower seeds and cranberries.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, then cool 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 218.2
Total Fat: 8.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.1 mg
Sodium: 127.0 mg
Total Carbs: 33.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.7 g
Protein: 4.6 g