So, today is one of the best days of the year. In my seeeeeriously biased opinion.
Not only is today my birthday, but it’s also FOODUZZI’S 1ST BIRTHDAY! ???
That’s right. The craziness that goes on at Fooduzzi.com started exactly one year ago today. Just a short year ago, as I sat with my first blog post in front of me, my heart was thumping out of my chest. I was nervous, terrified, and so ridiculously excited. I didn’t really know what to expect from my food blogging endeavors. Would I like it? Would anyone besides my mother even read it? Would anyone make my recipes? But had I known what was on the other side of that “Publish” button, I would have started Fooduzzi a long long time ago.
In all honesty, this year has been pretty wonderful for many reasons: That guy I was crushing on…yeah, that worked itself out very well. So much so in fact, we got an apartment together. AND a kitten. I graduated college and started my first “big girl” job. I traveled to new places like Chicago and Houston.
But I have to take a little bit of time to share just how much Fooduzzi has played a part of my year of 22, too: I conquered my fear of baking from scratch. I wrote my first book. I met some other incredible food bloggers. I’ve become friends with some amazing food bloggers, too (like one of my blogging BFFs, Liz, and the super-duper talented Bloggers Gonna Blog community). I’ve given presentations about Fooduzzi at work. I’ve worked with some of my all-time favorite brands like Bob’s Red Mill, Love Beets, and DeLallo.
I have loved the crap out of this year. And while there were definitely some struggles, when I look back and see just how much I’ve accomplished and, more importantly, how I’ve grown into an adult, a businesswoman, an entrepreneur, an author, a recipe developer, a photographer, and a girlfriend, I can’t help but get even more excited to see what year 23 has in store for me. So, thank you, dear reader, for helping me make this year one of the best yet.
And guys…I’m just getting started.
Consider these Peanut Butter Cup Muffins the prelude to all of the wonderfulness that is to come in 2016.
Mark and I went cuh-raaazy over these muffins. And Mark isn’t even a muffin fan (I KNOW.). They’re not too sweet (hello, breakfast food), but they’re juuuust the right amount of holy-moly-these-are-freakin’-delicious that’ll make you crave them for dessert, too! I know my day is instantly better when started in chocolate-peanut butter form, and it can only end in happiness when ended with this dynamic duo, too.
If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that I like to tell myself that I’ve figured out this magical gluten free muffin flour mix formula. A simple mixture of almond flour, oat flour, and coconut flour leave you with a seeeeriously tender and (sorry) moist muffin. Even on day 2! Even on day 3! You won’t even be able to tell the difference between the texture of a gluten-full muffin and these gluten-less ones!
The perfect texture of these little buggers can also be attributed to a handful of wet ingredients like peanut butter, apple sauce, coconut oil, and homemade “buttermilk.” These ingredients will give our delicious muffins a wonderfully tender texture and will seriously keep the muffins (sorry) moist for dayzzzz!
Because of all of this (sorry) moistness going on, the muffins will probably sink in the middle ever-so-slightly. No matter! Just fill the little crevice with a creamy peanut butter-almond milk-maple syrup mixture, and it’ll act as the BEST healthy “frosting!” It’s our birthday, dangit! Let’s celebrate with healthy peanut butter frosting mmmkay?!
Guys, it means so much that you come here to read my posts and try my recipes. I am beyond thrilled that I get to come to my little corner of the internet and connect with you every single day. Thank you for helping me make this year one of my very best – here’s to year 2…and, of course, with chocolate peanut butter in hand!
PrintPeanut Butter Cup Muffins
- Yield: 5 muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa flour, sifted
- 1/2 Tbsp. coconut flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- ~1/2 cup almond milk (see recipe), plus more for topping
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 1 Tbsp. peanut butter, plus more for the center and topping
- ¼ cup applesauce
- splash pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray/grease/line 5 muffin tin cups and set aside.
- Add almond flour, oat flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Be sure to whisk out any large clumps of flour.
- Add apple cider vinegar to a ½ cup measure. Fill the rest of the measure up with milk. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, or until it starts to curdle. This is your homemade buttermilk.
- To your melted coconut oil, add peanut butter, applesauce, vanilla, and maple syrup and mix well to combine. Add “buttermilk,” and mix well to combine.
- Add liquids to your dry ingredients and mix well until combined. The batter will be thick and fluffy, but fairly wet.
- Fill 5 muffin cups half way with batter. Add a heaping ¼ tsp. dollop of peanut butter on top, and then fill to the top of the muffin tin with the remaining batter.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees F. WITHOUT OPENING THE OVEN DOOR, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and bake for an additional 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. This method gives these muffins optimum rising power.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit in the muffin tin for 10 minutes. Remove muffins and place on a cooling rack to continue cooling. Muffins will sink in the middle; that’s OK.
- While your muffins are cooling, make your topping: Add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter to a small bowl. Add almond milk to thin until it’s at a frosting consistency. Add maple syrup to sweeten, if desired.*
- Spoon dollops of your peanut butter topping onto the muffins right before serving.
Notes
*Mark and I like rich desserts, rather than super sweet. We really liked the topping without the maple syrup, but I definitely won’t judge if you want to sweeten it up a bit!
A super special “thank you” goes to Gretchen from Gretch Runs!! I was her Secret Santa this year and she got me a TON of adorable Christmas-related baking gear like tiny cookie cutters, a Christmas-themed hand towel, and those festive muffin liners you see in the pictures! You are one of my favorite yinzers, Gretchen!
CONGRATSSSS ON YEAR ONE!!!! And Happy Birthday (both to you and Fooduzzi)!!!! <— insert every party and birthday emoji here! What an incredible accomplishment and celebration! Can't WAIT to see what Fooduzzi has in store for next year. And this recipe— don't EVEN get me started. I'm ordering almond flour off of amazon as we speak!
Thank you so much, Liz!! I’ve loved getting to know you over this year! :) Have fun with the almond flour – let me know what you think!
Happy Birthday Fooduzzi!! These muffins look amazing!
Thank you, Gretchen!! I think the muffin liners make them all the more special ;)
Happy Birthday to you both!! I loved reading this post, Alexa. Sounds like you have had an incredible year and I can’t wait to see what will come for you in 2016!!
Thank you SO much, Rebecca! It was definitely a year to remember :)
These certainly look delish! Happy Blogging Birthday!! Congrats on so many accomplishments in your first year!
Thank you so much, Ashley!! <3 This year has been absolutely wonderful - on to year 2!
Happy birthday + blogiversary!!! Here’s to many more years of awesome recipes!! xoxox
Yay! Thanks so much, Liz! :)
Yayyy!!! Happy double birthday :) keep the posts coming, I love your blog :) and those muffins- yummmm. Wishing I had one right now!
Your comment made my day, Mel! Thank you so very much for supporting me and Fooduzzi :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEXA! You have come sooooo far in just one year, I can’t even imagine what good things will happen in the years to come! You rock, girl :) So glad I stumbled upon your blog so many months ago!
And these MUFFINS – peanut butter cup?! Hello. That’s the way to my heart.
Thank you so much, Lucia! I’m so happy to have met you and to consider us blogging friends! :_
Happy birthday to Fooduzzi! These look like the BEST way to celebrate – YUM. Cheers to another fantastic year!
Thank you, Alexandra!! Seriously…who WOULDN’T celebrate with chocolate + peanut butter? ;)
Yay one year!! Congrats dear!
And Yay muffins!! That PB middle <3
Thank you, Rebecca! That PB middle is to DIE for!
These muffins sound SO amazing and so up my alley! Happy blog bday!!
xx
Thanks, Rachel! :)
Happy birthday Alexa!! To you and your blog :) What a great post to celebrate with – can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter!
I COMPLETELY agree, Rachel! chocolate + peanut butter = the only way to celebrate ;)
And they’re gluten free!!! I’m not gluten free, but I’m always looking for new ones to experiment on… THANK YOU!!!!! Happy Birthday. I hope it is a blessed day.
YES! And these are pretty special because they’re made from flours that are super duper easy to find – or make! I hope you give these a try, Emily, and THANK YOU for the birthday wishes!
These look AMAZING! Peanut Butter should be a food group of its own. Thank you for sharing, adding these to my must make list!
YES. Let’s get on that, Kristin! #pbforlife
Happy Birthday to you both :) These look delicious (peanut butter + chocolate is the best), and I love that they make a small batch! Perfect for when you don’t need 922958234 muffins around the house!
AGREED, Ellen! The two of us definitely didn’t have any trouble polishing these babies off in 2 days ;) A larger batch would be terribly dangerous haha
Happy Blog Birthday! What an exciting occasion, and I am so thrilled to watch your blog grow into its second year. Happy birthday to YOU too! Hope you’re doing lots of celebrating. :)
Aw thank you so much, Julia! I really appreciate your support! <3
HAPPY DOUBLE BIRTHDAY!! Both so exciting!!
Thanks, Leah! It was a fantastic day :)
“Hi, I’m Kellen & I’m a peanut butter lover.” I think these may be my guilty indulgence this weekend! Happy Birthday to your Blog!!
“Hi, I’m Alexa, & I’m right there with ya.” You’ll love these, Kellen! Let me know what you think if you give them a try!
These look freaking divine. And a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I know 2016 has big things for you!!! It’s been so fun reading your blog and seeing all your delicious gluten-free recipes. <333
Thanks so much, Emilie!! :)
Ahhh peanut butter muffins! That sounds like my kind of breakfast!
-Molly
apolloandluna.com
Seriously, Molly! It’s a proven fact that you can’t have a bad day after having one of these for breakfast ;)