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Ultra-Moist, Hemp Avocado (Hempacado) “Cornbread” Muffins

Hempacado Cornbread Opened — Hempacado “Cornbread” Muffin – fresh out of the oven.

Ever since I figured out how to make my amazingly moist muffins that are totally perfect for a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) and gluten-free eating, I’ve been experimenting. If you’re just figuring out how to make great, LCHF alternatives to breads and cakes, you’re likely using coconut or almond flours and quickly learning that it comes out DRY. Like, leaving your mouth sticking together like you just downed a cup of desert sand – not fun!

Fear not, there is a way to make cake-like texture a reality and really amp up your fats at the same time.

So, besides most cake, another thing I’ve been missing is cornbread. You may think you’re doing good because you’re avoiding gluten, but corn is questionable. It’s one of the worst of offenders of genetic modification and not-to-mention, most people’s bodies don’t do a wonderful job of processing it.

To stick with a keto-style diet, I found it helpful to understand the value of the good fats and nutrition in the fat-rich foods I’m consuming. It’s not just about looking good. It’s about having a machine, my body, running optimally.

Silicon Spoon for Scooping — Don’t miss a drop! This Pampered Chef silicon mixing spoon is fantastic for scooping everything out.

Hempacado Cornbread Out of the Oven — mmm fresh out of the oven!

Hemp and Avocado, “Hempacado”

Avocados are rich in nutrients and good fats, and also, fiber. Which is tough to get in low-carb diets. High fiber helps keep your digestive track moving. Avocados may not be as good as chia when it comes to fiber, but they’re pretty amazing.

Hemp. For the uninitiated, this seed is almost always catching a bad rap because of its “out there” cousin, cannabis. Fear not, these are not Amsterdam “Space Cakes.” Hemp not only brings great nutritional value, making these muffins a good source of complete protein, the texture makes them feel more corn-like.

Hempacado "Cornbread" with Butter — As an option, add a pat of butter to a fresh out-of-the-oven muffin for amazing cornbread flavor and texture.

Hempacado "Cornbread" with Kerrygold Butter — Kerrygold melted over a freshly baked hemp-avocado “cornbread” muffin.

To really complete the “cornbread” experience, I recommend bringing some butter to the party. Enjoy!

Ultra-Moist, Hempacado “Cornbread” Muffin

Using the superpowers of hemp plus the amazing flavor of avocado, these ultra-moist, low-carb high-fat “corn”bread muffins will surprise and delight.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free, grain-free, high-fat, keto, LCHF, low-carb

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Cool for 5 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 muffins

Calories 317 kcal

Author Chris Pallé

Ingredients

1/4 cup Organic Almond Flour
1/4 cup Organic Coconut Flour
2 1/2 tbsp Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetner
1 tsp Baking Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 pinch Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
2 tbsp Organic Hemp Seed
1/2 Avocado
3 tbsp Organic Heavy Cream
3 Organic Egg Yolk
1 tsp Dominican Vanilla Extract
3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Egg White
Kerrygold Butter Optional

Instructions

Prep

Preheat convection oven to 325° (350° for regular oven).

Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake cups. Or grease the muffin pan directly.
Get all ingredients laid out on the counter.

Method

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Ensure to mix thoroughly and get all the clumps out.
Mix all wet ingredients EXCEPT for the egg whites. Save those to the side for now. Be sure to whip a good amount of air into the mixture. The texture should be really fluffy and thoroughly mixed (unless you want chunks of avocado… which could be kinda cool come to think of it)
Fold in the wet to the dry ingredrient and ensure they’re combined really well. It will be kinda dry and lumpy.
To smooth it out add in some egg whites or water. The egg whites will make it a little more spongy. Whereas water might need to be cooked out a little bit more (leave in the oven longer.
Put in the oven for 18 minutes.
Check the muffins with toothpick. If there’s any batter, put it back in. May need another 3-5 minutes depending on your oven.
Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes or so.
Butter them up to your preference and enjoy!

Ingredients for Awesome Gluten-Free, Grain-Free “Cornbread” Muffins

ultra-moist, gluten-free, grain-free muffin — Crunchy top with an ultra-moist middle – awesome cornbread experience.

Ketogenic eating – It promises so much for boosting general health and wellness, controlling appetite, shedding body fat, and even promoting serious healing and restoration in our bodies. As many benefits as there are, it’s difficult to stay motivated to reap them. Particularly when you’re eating that tenth pack of bacon and you’re dying for a little variety! Check out these tips for making amazing gluten-free, grain-free muffins.

Once you’re committed and you say “goodbye” to muffins, cupcakes, pancakes, breads, pastas, grains, etc, it’s easy to figure out a few foods (lots o’ bacon, butter, and cheese! YUM!). It’s amazing and you stick with it for a few weeks and you start seeing some results. Then you realize that it actually is possible to get sick of bacon! It’s easy to get distracted, lose focus, and fall off the wagon. When I started the ketogenic eating style in 2016, that’s what happened to me, but I figured out how to be more versatile and keep myself on point.

If you’re going to win at making new habits, goals need to be exciting. My hope is that these ideas help when you need a bit of a change-up to keep reaching for your nutrition goals.

For Super Moist, Grain and Gluten-Free Muffins, Use These Ingredients

When I was first going high-fat, one thing I kept trying to figure out was how to make great breads and cakes that are keto-friendly. When I started out, I thought grain-free and gluten-free was all I needed. Simple right? Swap it out one-for-one with my favorite recipes and we’re good to go, but it’s more than that. You may know that there are alternatives to wheat flour such as almond and coconut flours. If you’ve tried them, the taste and texture are just not the same. I’m going to show how to get that texture right for making, IMO, the best gluten-free muffin mixes.

Mayonnaise

To get a good grain-free, gluten-free muffin mix, the first secret is good mayonnaise. I know, just trust me on this one. It works well because mayo is just whipped up and emulsified fat. It’s easy to find many varieties from olive and avocado oil to more eccentric oils like macadamia and coconut. So, it’s great for experimenting and finding a blend that works for you. Check out the Hempacado “Cornbread” or a fall-time fav, LCHF Omega Pumpkin Bites, for great examples.

Heavy Cream

Quality heavy cream (preferably not ultra-pasteurized and no carrageenan or other awkward fillers) does a fantastic job of whipping air into the batter for lighter, fluffier cake and adds some rich flavor. To really amp up the quality, get organic. My favorites are Whole Foods store brand, 365 and Trader Joe’s store brand.. TJ’s is a little cheaper and they have a store-brand organic version as well.

Dairy-Free Coconut Creamer

I’m just starting to play around with this one, but if you’re also going dairy-free, this might work out for you. It’s not quite as creamy as the heavy cream so you’ll need to add a little more, just watch out that you don’t get your base batter too wet.

Small Carton of Coconut Milk Creamer — Coconut creamer is a bit easier to find than Coconut *Cream,* but watch out for the water.

Cornbread Texture

And to get that cornbread texture, I like using shelled hemp seeds or milled flax seed. Another plus-up is that hemp makes your muffins a superfood by adding some protein, a little more fat, and good minerals.

Hemp Seeds on a Plate — Shelled Hemp Seeds – Perfect ingredient for superfood “cornbread” muffins

Increasing electrolytes is important for LCHF eating because you burn through more water and need to replenish them more frequently. Getting enough minerals is tough enough on a non-keto diet, but add in the need for more water that mean more bathroom breaks. Hemp is great for potassium, magnesium, and iron.

Omega Fatty Acid Ratios

Some of the “grainy” seeds such as chia are also really good in omega fatty acids. Just watch the ratios. Some of them can be balanced out with other fats in the recipes, but you want to watch the omega 6s and ensure that overall through your diet, you’re balancing out with more omega 3s than 6s.

Opened chia muffin — Awesome texture on this muffin

Elbow Grease

Okay okay… not really an ingredient, just a dad joke. But seriously, setting the moisture up to come out just right takes a little more fat and working the texture means getting a little more air worked into your mix. Heavy cream does a great job of holding air when you whip it up. Not that you need to use full-blown whipped cream (though, you totally could), but really, thoroughly mixing the batter once you mix your wet with dry helps to fluff up your final product.

I hope you find these tips helpful. What have you tried and learned? Please share your tips and ideas.

Garlicky Shroomy Ginger Bok Choy

For me, Bok Choy was always a tad intimidating. Not sure why because I’d eaten it a numerous time in Chinese food restaurants. Regardless, I stood away until I realized its nutritional value.

Bok Choy, also known as Chinese Cabbage, is fairly high in vitamins C and A and also has a fair amount of potassium. Which is commonly known to be good for muscle soreness and cramps, etc (“got a cramp, eat a banana”) but also, it’s great for the digestive system.

Also, liberal use of ginger is good for recovery because it’s an anti-inflammatory. I use a parmesan cheese grater for easy shredding.

Shredding Ginger into the Pot — Shredding the ginger is a time-saver for getting it minced. Photo Credit: Adalyn Pallé

So, check this out: The trick, as I learned, for sautéing garlic and ginger, is that we need to start with a cold pan and let it warm up instead of throwing in our spices when it’s already hot. This way is doesn’t burn and get bitter. Then once it starts to heat up and brown a bit, throw in the bok choy. Also, waiting a bit on the mushrooms is good because they don’t take quite as long to cook.

Ginger and Garlic in Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. — Warming Garlic and Ginger in Olive Oil

Garlicky Shroomy Ginger Bok Choy

Flavorful cruciferous veggies full of antioxidants and nutrients.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword antioxidents, brain food, cruciferous veggies, gluten-free, grain-free

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Cooling Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 110 kcal

Author Chris Pallé