Paleo-friendly Banana Pecan Muffins

Muffins that are Paleo friendly and taste great? Of course !

If you follow the Paleo diet you know that both dairy and gluten are out - eggs are ok if you don't have an intolerance of course.  As far as bananas go, many people seem to be on the fence about this sweet fruit.  Yes, it is a great source of potassium and adds lovely flavor and moisture to baked goods but is it too high on the Glycemic Index?  That choice is up to you.

But if you love your bananas then you are gonna love these Paleo inspired muffins! They are slightly spiced, moist and fluffy with a crunchy pecan topping.  Feel free to toss in some ripe berries into the batter too if you wish; blueberries or raspberries would be great.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Citrus Glaze

Combine the delicious recipes from Hummingbird Bakery and Martha Stewart along with some fantastic gluten-free flour and what do you get?  An amazing cupcake !

These beauties bake up light and fluffy. They are perfectly sweet and speckled throughout with vanilla bean.  Topped off with a lovely lemon glaze these are sure to please.

Gluten-Free Baked Donuts

I was searching for a baked donut recipe that could easily be converted to gluten-free. I didn't want to mess with yeast or an array of GF flours either.  I wanted it simple, tasty and easy to prepare.

Persistence paid off because I located a recipe that fit all of my criteria without any gluten-free changes required. It was already done for me and was such a simple recipe that I couldn't wait to test it out.  Testing was a huge success! I now have a new favorite donut recipe that I will make again and again.

Gluten-Free Nutella Muffins

Soft, cakey and swirled with Nutella.  Even better they are gluten-free, sweetened with coconut palm sugar and can be dairy free to with just a few changes.

These are best served warm from the oven topped with a dollop of your fave vanilla ice cream (rice and coconut varieties are wonderful).   A decadent dessert!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are not just gluten-free - they are also egg and dairy free too. Perfect for someone with allergies but not willing to compromise on taste.

These are chewy, sweet and filled with mini chocolate chips. These puff up during baking and take on a lovely golden brown color. As they cool the cookies settle and become more flat in nature. The texture is super moist but won't fall apart when you are indulging in them.  

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

This is a fantastic cake based on Dorie Greenspan's recipe for Classic Banana Bundt Cake.  It is reminiscent of banana bread but has a finer crumb. Perfect to serve for dessert topped with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream!

I love the flavor of banana and chocolate so adjusted the recipe and added dark chocolate chips. I am also a huge fan of spices when bananas are the main player in a recipe so cinnamon and nutmeg were a must for me.  The flavors all work together incredibly well and result in an exceptionally delicious cake. Lastly, I wasn't keen on adding the required 2 cups of sugar to this recipe so exchanged it for coconut sugar.  Great results!

Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Scones

It has been some time since my last post and I humbly apologize.  I took some time off for a pre-summer holiday and didn't get much baking done at all.  Though I enjoyed the relaxation I did miss feeding my baking addiction.  To get things kick-started I wanted to dive back in with a gluten-free treat truly loved by many - the scone.

I have tried many GF scones before and none have lived up to the hype. They were either too dense, too dry or had some kind of funky aftertaste.  After much searching I found a recipe online that seemed promising and gave it a whirl.  I am very pleased with the baking results and can safely say these are scones that are not just "edible" but downright delicious.  My son who won't touch dried fruit scarfed down 2 of these while still warm, dried cranberries and all !