{Recipe} Piña Colada Gluten-free Muffins

Lately, I have been experimenting with going gluten-free. I am not ready to join all of my Paleo friends and go completely grain-free, but I am very serious about removing the wheat from my diet.

A friend recently shared a few bags of Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix and this was a helpful kick start for my gluten-free journey. This was our first introduction to Pamela's products.

I will be completely honest. Sometimes I stand in the gluten-free aisle at the grocery and I have sticker shock over some of the prices. The 4 LB bag of Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix is $15.49 at Vitacost. It is $19.99 over at Amazon. These prices do not fit within our frugal grocery budget. However, we enjoyed this product enough that I would consider purchasing for special occasions and using on a limited basis. It is seriously delicious! My husband and I actually prefer the taste and texture of this baking mix over conventional wheat flours and mixes. If you see any coupons for Pamela's products, please let me know! I am on the lookout!

Last evening, we had terrible winds in Central Indiana. I thought it sounded like we were having a snowicane. In a nearby community, thundersnow was reported with heavy snowfall and lightning. Thankfully, we did not lose power because I channeled my nervous energy into baking.

Here is my new motto:

Evidently it is a popular motto. My sister (who does not like storms) was baking away at midnight in her own kitchen.

I combined a few ingredients I had on hand to create Piña Colada muffins. They were absolutely delightful! My hubby woke up from his sound sleep (notice he slept through the wind storm!) just in time to eat one warm out of the oven. He murmured all sorts of accolades for the yummy factor, so I know they were delicious!

Piña Colada Gluten-free Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups Pamela's Baking Mix*
1/2 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup honey (or 1/2 cup unrefined sugar)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of crushed pineapple
1/2 to 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes (it depends on how much you like coconut)
1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)

*If you use another baking mix, I cannot vouch for the result.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Grease muffin pan
• In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together
• If you notice the brown flecks, don't worry! It is almond meal!
• Scoop batter into 12 muffin cups
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes
• Eat one warm from the oven!

If you try them out, please let me know what you think!