I picked up some fresh Rainier Cherries from the Farmer’s Market to bake up a batch of cherry almond muffins as a gift to my dad for Father’s Day. Turning gluten-free just a few years ago, and having spent most of his 75 years eating gluten, he appreciates great tasting gluten-free food.

And today, in honor of Father’s Day, I want to give tribute to my dad. He is, in every sense of the word, what one would call a man’s man. Growing up, the food that was placed on our table was mainly wild game. He loved to hunt and fish and we ate everything from deer to elk, grouse to pheasant, and trout to salmon. For many years my dad was a carpenter and built beautiful custom homes. Today, whenever I smell fresh-cut wood from a saw, it brings my mind flooding back with great childhood memories of watching my dad hard at work with his hands. One of my favorite childhood memories was a vacation we took as a family to California. Three of us four kids were in the back of a pickup truck lying on a bed my dad had rigged up. There was a small canopy over us, with a window that allowed us to see through the front cab, where my little brother was sandwiched in-between my parents. Seatbelt laws did not exist back then, so we were free to roll around on the bed, playing games and singing songs. Life was pretty carefree, until I saw the look of panic on my mom’s face through the window. The truck was pulling a full size camper, and suddenly the truck had lost its breaks! We were flying down the highway going over 80 miles an hour and the speedometer continued to climb. I remember being a little scared but deep down inside I knew it was all going to be okay because my dad was “in control”. As he maneuvered between gearing down and tapping the emergency brake, he eventually brought us to a stop and was able to fix the problem. In my eyes, my dad could save the world.

Last night my husband and I went to see “Man of Steel” at the theater, a new rendition of Superman. It was an action packed movie, but for me, my dad will always be my super hero. Love you, Dad…Happy Father’s Day!

This is my handsome dad back in 1962, the year I was born.
This is my handsome dad back in 1962, the year I was born.
And here he is today, at age 75, still as handsome as ever.
And here he is today, at age 75, still as handsome as ever.

 

 

I used Rainier cherries for these muffins, which have a thin skin and thick creamy-yellow flesh,

but any cherry will do if you can’t find the Rainier variety.

Bowl of Cherries
A bowl of beautifully sweet Rainier cherries.

 

Muffin Batter gluten & dairy-free
Whip all ingredients to create a batter that is similar to cake batter.

 

Chopped Cherries
Pit and chop Rainier cherries to be added to the batter.

 

Gluten-free muffin batter
Gently fold the cherries into the batter.

 

Cherry Almond Muffins with Streusel
Place muffin batter in prepared muffin cups and sprinkle streusel over the top of the batter.

 

Frosted Cherry Almond Muffins
Prepare the icing and pipe a lattice crisscross across the top of each muffin.

 

Dairy & gluten-free muffin
Bite into this soft and sweet cherry almond muffin. A delicious dairy and gluten-free morning treat.

 

Cherry Almond Muffins (dairy & gluten-free)

Muffins-

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

1 egg (or egg replacer)

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup almond flour

1 1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted & chopped

Streusel-

1/4 cup almond flour

2 Tbsp gluten-free oats

2 Tbsp coconut palm sugar

1/2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp coconut oil

Icing-

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1-3 tsp almond milk

 

In a medium bowl, beat together coconut oil, honey, egg or egg replacer, and almond milk. Add in rice flour, tapioca starch and almond flour. Mix on medium high-speed for 3 minutes. Fold in chopped and pitted cherries gently. Spoon batter into muffin tins 2/3 full.

In small bowl, add almond flour, GF oats, coconut palm sugar, honey, and coconut oil. Mix with a fork or spoon until mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle a large pinch full on to the top of each muffin. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-22 minutes or until centers are firm. Remove from oven and completely cool.

In a small bowl, add powdered sugar, almond extract, and 1 teaspoon of almond milk at a time until a thick glaze forms. Add more powdered sugar if needed to make the right consistency. Form a lattice pattern on the top of each cooled muffin.

This recipe was also shared on the following blogs, check them out: RealFoodForager, SimplySugarandGlutenFree, Chef-in-Training, LadyBehindtheCurtain, DeliciousObsessions, WellFedHomestead

AnyonitaNibbles, GlutenfreeHomemaker, KellytheKitchenKop, Vegetarian Mamma, AWholeNewMom, NourishingSimplicity, DIYShowOff, ModVintageLife, TheGunnySack, AllergyFreeAlaska, SimplyDesigning, PoorandGlutenFree, RealFoodForLessMoney, SweetBellaRoos, MadeInaDay, 

12 comments on “Cherry Almond Muffins (Dairy & Gluten-Free)”

    • Thank you! I will check out your blog as well! I am also starting a little linky party on Thursday’s called Alive & Thrive Thursday. It goes live tonight if you’d like to link up a recipe.

  1. Delicious! I used coconut nectar instead of honey and opted out of the streusel and icing. All the yummy coconut oil took a minute to absorb into the cake again, but once itmdid it was super dense and moist and buttery!

  2. Hello! These look amazing and I’m hoping you can answer a few questions for me. Do you think I could sub white rice flour as I have this at home? Also, I’m not sure I can find palm sugar…what would be a good substitute? Regular sugar? And where in a store might one find almond extract? 🙂 Thanks!

    • Hi Kiley,
      Yes, you could substitute white rice flour for the brown rice flour. You can use regular white cane sugar in place of the palm sugar. I just prefer the palm because it is a low glycemic sugar and better for you than regular cane sugar. As for the almond extract, it is in the baking section by the vanilla and other extracts, often by the spices. Hope that helps. And yes, the muffins are quite yummy!

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