You might be surprised about the title of this post. “Hippy crack” isn’t exactly what one thinks of when wanting something warm and cozy to eat, especially since, where I come from, the term is reserved for the curious little nitrous canisters that recently took down Demi Moore. Back in my younger days, Whip-its were all the rage for anyone looking for a quick buzz – and even as an adult, I occasionally see someone hiding in the back corner of a party, passed out on the floor and drooling on themselves, surrounded by little silver bullets of laughing-gas love.
But this blog isn’t about inebriants, and least not of the illegal sort. Let’s get to the tasty part, the part about the raspberry flax and almond flour muffins.
Not too long ago, I was befallen by a virus of the worst kind; the type that wears you out for weeks on end, dragging your energy levels to subterranean levels, almost never to be seen again. I essentially laid on the couch for two weeks, eating nothing but pineapple and cantaloupe (when I get sick, those are the only things my stomach will hold). I was so tired that I could barely hold a book long enough to read, and even watching television was an exhausting exercise in having to concentrate far longer than my weary brain was capable of.
When all was said and done, I lost 8 pounds in two weeks. While that may be cause for celebration for some, I only weight 106, soaking wet, with bricks tied to my ankles. So, as you can imagine, losing 8 pounds was not only a bummer, but cause for alarm.
First off, I was suddenly freezing all the time. I’d wrap myself in layers, even in 60-degree weather, and still curse myself for not wearing wool socks. Second, none of my clothes fit. My jeans hung off my hips like the kids I see standing around outside the liquor store down the street, so that I had to pull my pants up by the belt loops 874928749 times a day. It was so bad that I ripped the belt loops clean off one pair of jeans. Fail.
I needed some weight gain, and fast. Still too weak to cook anything of substance but not wanting to resort to McDonalds and Kraft macaroni and cheese, I remembered that nuts and seeds are sources of healthy fat, but that en mass, they could account for some pretty serious poundage for those that were hoping to keep it off. Re-appropriating that weight-loss knowledge for the opposite effect, I made myself a batch of blueberry almond flour muffins. They were good, but I wanted something that would keep my still-sluggish digestive system moving. And when the world calls for fiber, the nutritional god rains down flax seeds from the heavens.
I dubbed these hearty raspberry flax and almond flour muffins “hippy crack” because they are so completely addicting that you can’t stop eating them, especially when they’re fresh from the oven, steaming hot, with a big pat of butter melting down into their nooks and crannies. They contain not a lick of flour or other grain, and consist entirely of whole ingredients (hence the ‘hippy’ reference). Dense and satisfying, these muffins are lushly tender, with a sweet nuttiness that makes them nearly impossible to stop eating. But beware: since each muffin contains a hefty dose of nuts and seeds, I recommend cutting yourself off after two, lest you end up wishing you could crawl into bed for a two hour nap.
- Serves: 6
- Calories: 400
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Unsaturated fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Sodium: 330mg
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 106mg
- 2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cup finely ground almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 cup flax meal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup agave nectar
- 3 eggs
- Heat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
- In a small pot, mix berries, water, and lemon juice. Simmer over medium-low heat until the berries have released their juice and the liquid has thickened up a bit, which should take about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep berries from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine almond flour, flax meal, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
- In a large bowl, combine the berries, vanilla, honey, agave nectar, and eggs, whisking gently until well mixed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring well. Fill baking cups about 2/3 full.
- Slide the muffin tins into the oven, baking for 25 minutes, or until the tops are firm and just beginning to brown around the edges. Allow to cool 5 minutes before eating. Serve with fresh butter and more honey, if you like then extra sweet.
Yum. I have some fresh blueberries in need of a home, I think this is it. I’m wondering if I can ground my own whole almonds fine enough to use as flour. Thoughts?
Absolutely!
Poor Steph. I need to feed you some more.
I’d never turn that down. ;)
Was trying to figure out what to do with the flax meal and almond flour I found it my pantry. Perfect timing.
Thank you!
Just found your blog today and I love it! These muffins look so good. I love raspberries. I’ve never used Almond Flour before but may just have to give it a try. Any idea how many calories are in on of these muffins?
Not sure, but nuts are famously high in fat and calories! The flax seeds less so. That said, they are also incredibly high in protein, so that’s the positive trade.
My nephew is deathly allergic to eggs, and since flaxseed is an egg alternative, would I add additional flax to substitute, or maybe add in some applesauce? The unused almond flour in my fridge is really wanting to know!
Not a bad idea
Bananas! One a day is enough. This works no matter if your intestines are running too fast or too slow. I love’m. One a day!
Ha, true! They will indeed stop you up, not unlike slippery elm.
Just came across this recipe…and it looks fantastic, but I don’t want to add any sugar (honey or agave). Are they acting as binders? Would it be fine to substitute Splenda and/or Stevia or some other mix? Or maybe just throw in some dried fruit instead? Otherwise, this recipe looks delicious….Hippy Crack indeed!
The are acting as binders, but you could use something else – perhaps water whipped flax seeds, creating 1/2 cup worth of gel? Or chia seeds?
Well, I used a bit of Splenda and cut out the baking soda. I think I’m supposed to cut the temperature a bit and let it cook longer too as the bottoms were runny (hahahah!). However, the taste was delicious and will try to fix it for the next batch. Thanks for the help!
Ah, ok. Let me know how the second attempt goes!
How on earth are your muffins golden in colour when you added two cups of raspberries? My muffins are a dirty purple colour. Is this just a stock photo? Perhaps you should have a byline on the photo.
Nope, it’s the right recipe/photo. Just reserve some batter before you mix in the berries, then pour the extra plain batter over the top of each filled cup if you want them perfect on top.
I bake quite a bit and was very disappointed with this recipe. I feel like there are missing ingredients, but I know I put everything in….I made one substitute of golden syrup for agave nectar – so perhaps the muffins were not sweet enough…but that aside the texture was soggy, they are dark heavy gluggy little puddings that look nothing like your image. A waste of beautiful ingredients. Has any one else actually baked them?
They are more dense due to the lack of fine flour. They shouldn’t be pudding, though, unless you didn’t bake them long enough. Golden syrup is much thicker than agave nectar, but I’ve never baked with it to I can’t tell you if that’s what caused the problem. When I make them they are very sweet.
Thanks for the tips, perhaps the golden syrup was too heavy, not sweet enough and caused them to brown quicker – hence they didn’t cook for long enough.
It’s possible. Perhaps try mixing 3 parts golden syrup to 1 part water as a substitute for agave? If you give it a try, please report back and let me know how it goes…
Complete fabulous recipe… first time I made it and was a blast… Thanks a lot for sharing it!!!!
So glad you liked it. :) These are some of my favorites!