Lunchbox Friendly Paleo Muffins

This post and recipes (one savory, one sweet) paleo muffin recipes were written by Leslie Blood, one of our fave food creators, and her 2 young boys.  Yup, kid approved!

Truth time: I love it when the kids go back-to-school but I hate making lunches, especially sandwiches. I mean, the mess alone…

How many different items need to come out of the fridge and play to make a sandwich, even one that ain't Paleo? Let’s pick a classic: Ham and cheese….so let’s see, we need ham, cheese, bread, mayo, mustard and maybe even lettuce and tomato. Geez, no thanks!

How about peanut butter and jelly? By the time my kids open up their lunch boxes it is just one giant congealed blob where the peanut butter and jelly are celebrating their unholy matrimony and the bread has barely managed to hang in there especially since I am using the “natural” peanut butter which tends to be a little oily.

My kids use reusable stainless steel lunch containers and washing out the PB and J explosions is a chore I dread. So what is a mom to do? Enter lunchbox muffins.

Now, these muffins are awesome any time of day, but I love using them when I pack lunches. How easy is it to pull these perfectly portioned snacks out of the fridge and pop them straight into a lunchbox?

Just round out your kiddo’s lunch with some cut up fruits and veggies and you are in business. I always add in some coconut or sweet potato chips for a crunchy component, yum!

Pizza Egg Muffins

When you are looking for a Paleo protein source, eggs are always a good choice. These muffins are a breeze to make and a fun alternative to traditional school lunches. The combination of pesto and sundried tomato gives the eggs a pizza-like flavor that can’t be beat. In fact, if you are jonesing for a slice, add some cooked sausage to this mix and watch your pizza craving melt away.

• 10 eggs
• ¼ cup pesto *see pesto recipe below
• ¼ cup sun dried tomato packed in olive oil, finely chopped
• two cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tbs coconut flour

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

The easiest way to do this is to combine all the ingredients in a powerful blender or food processor and let er’ rip. Pour into a muffin pan that you have greased with coconut oil, or if you have a silicone muffin pan that works really well too. Fill the cups 2/3 of the way. The egg filling will expand.   Bake for 20-25 minutes. You know your muffins are done when the center is set.

Paleo Pesto

Most pesto contains dairy. I always make my own with whatever fresh herbs look best. The trick here is that you can really use any green and any nut you desire.

• 2 cups packed herbs such as basil, cilantro or parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¾ cup walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts
• Juice from one lemon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until you have a somewhat smooth paste, or just process until you have something that looks like pesto. You may want your pesto to be more viscous so feel free to add in more olive oil as needed.

Chocolate Ginger Zucchini Muffins

These muffins are great addition to your school lunch repertoire. I love surprising my kids with these in their lunch boxes; they appear to be special treats, but are really packed full of zucchini and eggs. I use honey as my sweetener here, but you can use agave or maple syrup if you choose. You can substitute any nut or seed butter that you have on hand, so go with whatever you like best. These freeze well and are also awesome for breakfast or even dessert with a little avocado frosting (recipe follows.)

• Six eggs
• ¾ cup coconut flour
• ¾ cup cashew butter
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/3 cup raw cacao or just plain old cocoa powder if you want
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups grated zucchini

Combine everything except the zucchini in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and then carefully fold in the zucchini. Divide the batter into a muffin tin. I got a dozen muffins out of this recipe. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of your muffins are cooked through. They will be fudgy, but should still set up nicely.

Cocoa Avocado Frosting

• 2 ripe avocados
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Add all the above ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. I found that five tablespoons of honey were the perfect amount of sweetness for my kids. I like to decorate my chocolate zucchini muffins with fresh berries for a pretty and tasty treat.

Want this recipe as a 1 page PDF you can easily print?  Check out our eBook, On Being Paleo, which includes 30+ recipes (including this one) along with an easy Intro to Paleo and a guide through the 7 Pillars of Paleo.

• Deciphering Egg Labels:  What Does Free Range Mean?
• 6 Celebrities On The Paleo Diet
• Coconut Oil:  Why The Hype?

---

---

Leave a comment

Name *

Email *

Comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.