AIP Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins (with Tigernut Flour)

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffin Ingredients

• Full Fat Coconut Milk- It’s hard to find a good coconut milk that does not contain guar gum. Thanks to one of the AIP Facebook Groups I’m a member of,  I’ve recently discovered Thai Kitchen Unsweetened Coconut Milk per a recommendation from one of the members. Its ingredients are just coconut and water and so far, I've been extremely happy with it. The texture is very consistent and velvety smooth. 

• Unsweetened Apple Sauce- I usually buy apple sauce cups because the recipe calls for such a small amount and we won’t always use a larger jar of it. 
• Apple Cider Vinegar- The vinegar in combination with baking soda helps the muffins to rise and adds some “fluffiness.”
• Pure Vanilla Extract- Vanilla extract can be a confusing ingredient when it comes to AIP compliance. If it is cooked to remove the alcohol, it is considered compliant. For foods that will not be cooked, you can use vanilla powder. It’s more expensive than the extract but you only use a tiny amount at a time (usually .5 to 1 tsp for recipes). Generally, the conversion is ½ tsp vanilla powder per 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
• Gelatin- Gelatin is very popular in the Paleo world for its ability to repair the gut and to replace eggs (which contain inflammatory proteins) in baked goods. Gelatin powder combined with a little water works great as an egg replacement in AIP baked goods. I've been using this brand. 

In this recipe, you’ll combine the gelatin powder with a little bit of lukewarm water to make a “gelatin egg.” Just be sure not to get the water too hot as it can make the gelatin get clumpy very fast. You’ll want to add the gelatin egg mixture to the wet ingredients right away so it gets incorporated before getting too firm.

When buying gelatin, look for a product that is sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised animals that have not been given hormones, antibiotics, or GMO grains. Also, look out for sneaky additives and preservatives which are usually not AIP compliant. 

• Tigernut Flour- Tigernut flour, made from tigernuts, which are a tuber, not a nut, is a super versatile and very forgiving flour. It works in so many things and is by far my favorite AIP-friendly flour to bake with.  If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it. I usually go with Anthony’s brand. 
• Cassava Flour- Cassava flour, also made from tubers, is very similar to white flour. It’s pretty versatile as well, but I don’t like to use too much of it in any one recipe because it can be a little gritty. As long as you don’t use too much of it, you won’t notice this. Also, texture can vary from brand to brand. Otto’s Cassava Flour is very soft and fine. Anthony’s is pretty good too though and considerably cheaper. 
• Coconut Flour- Coconut flour is pretty affordable and widely available in grocery stores. It is very soft and fine so it contributes some nice qualities to texture but it's very finicky. I can only use a small amount in recipes; otherwise, things just fall apart.
• Strawberries and Rhubarb- A classic combination; the sweetness of the strawberries balances out the tartness of the rhubarb. Just make sure to cut the fruit into really small pieces since they will be going into small muffins. If the pieces are too big, they overtake the muffin and may make it a bit soggy in spots. This recipe calls for ½ tbsp of coconut flour to toss the fruit in before adding to the recipe just to absorb some of the moisture from the fruit as it bakes.