Black Sesame Muffins

Black sesame seeds have a distinct flavor that I am just obsessed with. They’re an excellent source of calcium, magnesium and iron.

These muffins are paleo, can be made AIP friendly and are a great addition to breakfast or can be eaten as a snack.

Ingredients Used:

Almond Flour: Almond flour is made from blanched ground almonds. Do not confuse this for almond meal which includes grinding the skin. Almond meal is course and will not work the same in recipes. Look for fine ground blanched almond flour. If you are allergic to almonds, tigernut flour is an excellent alternative to try. If you’re allergic to nuts or avoiding almonds while on the autoimmune protocol, you can substitute Tigernut flour in many recipes as a 1:1 sub. I usually purchase my almond flour from Trader Joe’s or Anthony’s on Amazon.

Tigernut flour: Tigernuts are not actually nuts at all but small tuberous vegetables that are grown similarly to potatoes. They have a sweet, nutty taste and have a number of nutrient dense health benefits. Most importantly, they are 100% anti-inflammatory. I would best describe the tigernut as a fantastic replacement for almond flour. Whereas almond flour can be a source of inflammation for many folks, tigernuts have no known inflammatory markers making them a safe and delicious flour to consume. If you don’t have access to tigernut flour, you may use almond flour instead. It has a similar texture but comes from the almond nut whereas tigernuts are not a nut at all but a tuber. I use the gemini brand of tigernut flour which can be purchased at whole foods or on amazon.

Toasted Black Sesame Seeds: These can be found in most grocery stores. Think Whole Foods, Shop Rite, or any Asian market. If you can’t find toasted sesame seeds you can always toast them yourself at home. The flavor o flour toasted sesame seed is so much more robust, So I highly recommend try to find it.

Tapioca starch: Tapioca starch comes from the cassava plant and is the starch of the cassava root. If you do not have access to tapioca starch you may substitute arrowroot starch.

Arrowroot starch: Arrowroot is native to Guyana, Eastern Brazil, Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa. Once this tuberous vegetable begins to become starchy, it is harvested, dried and powdered.

Date sugar powder: I used some date sugar in this recipe. You may choose to substitute this with coconut sugar.

Eggs & Gelatin: If you are allergic to eggs, you may use gelatin as a substitute instead. Gelatin is the safest alternative for folks with allergies and gut health issues. I recommend using bovine gelatin to replace your egg. See notes below for how to make it.

Substitutions (w/ links to purchase):

Almond flour: If you’re allergic to nuts or avoiding almonds while on the autoimmune protocol, you can substitute Tigernut flour in many recipes as a 1:1 sub. I usually purchase my almond flour from Trader Joe’s or Anthony’s on Amazon.

Tigernut flour: If you don’t have access to tigernut flour, you may use almond flour instead. It has a similar texture but comes from the almond nut whereas tigernuts are not a nut at all but a tuber. I use the gemini brand of tigernut flour which can be purchased at whole foods or on amazon.

Arrowroot flour & Tapioca Starch: These are basically interchangeable in most of my recipes. When indicated, you may swap one out for the other. I purchase these either from almost any grocery store - HMart, 99 Ranch, Whole foods, etc and also on amazon or thrive market. I’m not brand specific here.

Coconut milk: I use a lot of coconut products. If you are allergic to coconut milk, I recommend trying almond or cashew milk. Alternatively, you may try making your own nut milk using tigernut flour or making some banana milk with banana and some water.

How To Make A Gelatin Egg:

If you are intolerant to eggs, you can make this recipe with a gelatin egg instead.

To make your gelatin egg, bring a small amount of water to a boil. Add 2 tbsp boiling water and 1 tbsp room temperature to a small dish. Then slowly pour in 1 scoop or 10g of bovine gelatin to the mixture. As you pour, stir with a spoon or chopstick to ensure you get a smooth blend. Pour this mixture directly into your bake after you have created your batter. It will harden as you continue working so you want to get it into the oven quickly.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana

• 1 egg

• 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• 2 tsp date sugar

• 3 tbsp black sesame seeds

• 1 + 1/4 cup almond flour (sub Tigernut)

• 1/2 cup tapioca starch (sub arrowroot)

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tsp grain free baking powder (sub baking soda)

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or homemade herbal vinegar of choice

• Pinch of calendula salt or sea salt.

Preparations:

• Mash the banana in a large bowl and add in the egg and oil. Beat them together h til smooth. Set aside.

• Take a mortar and pestle and begin to grind the toasted sesame seeds. If your seeds are not yet toasted, heat a skillet over low heat and gently toast the seeds until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to mortar and pestle.

• Then, transfer them to a spice grinder and add in the date sugar powder. Grind together until a the seeds break and begin to get soft and paste like. Remove from grinder.

• Add the sesame paste mixture into the egg and banana batter.

• Then, add the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder and salt and mix together well.

• If using a gelatin egg add it in at this point. See above notes for how to make one. Then add in the apple cider vinegar and stir again.

• Transfer to muffin tins making sure to brush the tins with some more avocado oil.

• Bake at 350F for 25 -30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out relatively clean.

• Top with a pinch of calendula salt or sea salt