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A Healthier Holiday Treat: Gingerbread Cranberry Muffins

Pumpkin is out; gingerbread is in. These gingerbread cranberry muffins feature a few healthy swaps for a more nutritious holiday treat without sacrificing festive flavors. Finally, a recipe where you don’t have to choose between healthy and what you’re craving. These muffins will be your ticket to winning over family and friends while finding ways to enjoy healthy treats during the decadent season.

Why not combine two popular holiday flavors into one recipe? These gingerbread cranberry muffins will be loved by all health enthusiasts and sweet eaters alike. They are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free, but the most important thing is that they taste delicious!

This recipe for gingerbread cranberry muffins features a few favorite healthy swaps including:

· Almond flour and oat flour as a replacement for all-purpose flour for a boost in protein, fiber and healthy fats
· Banana, molasses and maple syrup to reduce the overall sugar amount and a provide less-processed source of sweetener
· Coconut oil instead of highly processed canola oil
· A homemade dairy-free buttermilk using unsweetened almond milk and apple cider vinegar

Before you get baking, here are a few pro cooking tips:

· Make your own oat flour by adding old-fashioned oats to the blender and pulsing until you get a fine flour
· Make the buttermilk first, by combining milk of choice and apple cider vinegar in a liquid measuring cup and setting aside to allow the milk to curdle


Gingerbread Cranberry Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 banana, mashed
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 1/4 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a liquid measuring cup and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, add the mashed banana, egg, molasses, maple syrup, coconut oil, and almond milk/vinegar mixture. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients: almond flour, oat flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Whisk to combine.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently mix until just combined, making sure not to over mix. Fold in the cranberries.

Lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and evenly divide the batter among 12 muffins cups. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.

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