Dairy, Egg, Grain, and Nut Free

Maybe it’s because of Pippa Pig and the way she says “chocolate” in her British accent or maybe because anything chocolate is usually delicious, but my daughter LOVES chocolate.  What’s not to like?

I make these chocolate muffins for my daughter’s preschool snack.  There are kids in her school that are anaphylactic to dairy and eggs. Although the school is only nut free, I have taken it upon myself to bring food for her that is not a possible threat to anyone. These treats also freeze well.  I freeze them on a cookie sheet with their silicone wrappers still on.  Once frozen I take the wraps off and freeze in a suck (vacuum) bag.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 9 pitted (soaked) Medjool dates
• 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil  (use ghee if no dairy concerns)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (my recipe)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Optional:
I put 3 chocolate mini chips on each muffin just to blow her mind! I use Dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free mini chips from Enjoy Life Foods, an allergy-friendly bakery that is available in many stores.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 350.
2. Take your wet ingredients and place in blender: bananas, dates, sunflower seed butter, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl mix the coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
4. Pour your wet mixture into your dry bowl and mix by hand until incorporated well.
5. Pour batter into muffin wraps and top with chocolate chips if you want extra mind blowing.
6. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until tooth pick comes out clean when pricked.
   Your muffins might sink a little bit when they cool, but they still taste great!

I always soak dates overnight to ensure any possible chemical sprays are rinsed away that might have been used at border crossings, etc.  (Yes, I’m a little compulsive..I know.)  Plus soaking them makes them softer and easier to blend in the blender.