My daughter has not been feeling well for some time.

We’ve taken her to the doctor, have had tests done, and according to them she is just fine.

Try telling her that! She doesn’t feel fine at all.

We’ve been (mostly) gluten free for a few years now.

I’ve left it up to her (she’s 15) whether or not she cheats at all, like at the occasional family get-together or our weekly fellowship potluck meals. She knows how she’ll feel if she eats too much gluten…or other highly processed foods for that matter. By eating them anyway she also accepts the consequences.

Natural consequences are great teachers.

She’s finally gotten to the point where she is willing to try something as drastic as an elimination diet.

I personally feel that if she did not cheat on the “glutens” (as my father is fond of calling it), she would feel much better. But, since other food sensitivities often go hand-in-hand with gluten sensitivity it’s worth the investment in time to discover if eggs or dairy, for example, are also an issue for her.

We’ve begun a three week elimination diet where we are eliminating wheat, corn, soy, nuts, dairy and eggs. Also out are refined sugars and caffeine and any ingredients typically found in processed foods. I don’t use much processed foods at home so that’s not a big deal for me, but eating at relative’s homes or in a potluck situation can certainly be tricky. It requires planning ahead as well as simple, tasty recipes.

These easy and tasty Allergy Free Spice Muffins are great for those tricky situations.

I’ve made these allergy friendly spice muffins a few times now and we’ve all been happy with how they turn out. They came about out of necessity, of course. I tried a little of this and a little of that and yum, tasty allergy friendly spice muffins! I haven’t been making them THM (Trim Healthy Mama) friendly for her as she doesn’t need to worry about that – she’s underweight not overweight! You could certainly replace the agave (or honey or maple syrup) with stevia or another plan-approved sweetener. You  may need to adjust the liquid, or add a spoonful of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Adding water to the empty muffin cups will help ensure even baking!

Speaking of agave, I do realize it is a controversial sweetener. I personally do not tolerate it well and the claims that it is “low glycemic” are questionable as far as I’m concerned. It jacks up my blood sugar. If you don’t use agave, just substitute a healthy natural sweetener.

We had them today with a very sweet lady from our old church. She’s kind of an “adopted grandma” to my kiddos and we enjoy doing something special for her when she visits, like set out the china and have tea.

Even our guest, who does not have food allergies, loved them!

Allergy Friendly Spice Muffins – Gluten/Egg/Dairy Free 

ingredients

• 1/2 c coconut flour
• 1/2 c brown rice flour (buckwheat also works well)
• 1 tsp baking SODA (not baking powder, which often contains cornstarch)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)
• 1 Tbs olive or coconut oil
• 1 c rice milk or other allergy friendly liquid (more if needed)
• 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
• 2-3 Tbs agave syrup (or honey or maple syrup)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (<—learn to make your own!)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinager

method

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add oil, rice milk, applesauce, agave and vanilla. Mix well and let batter sit a few minutes – coconut flour is highly absorbent and you may need to add a bit more to reach a nice muffin batter consistency. When you are satisfied with the consistency, add the apple cider vinegar and mix quickly.

Fill eight greased or lined muffin cups evenly with batter and fill the remaining empty cups with water to help ensure even baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

BE SURE TO PIN THIS ALLERGY FRIENDLY SPICE MUFFINS RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARDS!