Kiwi fruit muffin recipe with dark chocolate and orange zest (gluten free)

I’ve been making variations of this healthy kiwi fruit muffin recipe every week for the last year and they are now my absolute favourite baked treat. The kiwis keep the muffins lovely and moist, while the oat flour, almond flour and bananas work together to form a great gluten free structure while still being relatively light and fluffy. The vanilla and toffee like flavour of the dates mix so well with the orange and chocolate that you’ll definitely want a second muffin. And the cacao nibs which I’ve noticed can sometimes be harsh in baking, actually absorb some of the liquid of the muffin batter. By the time they’re baked they transform themselves into a softer chocolate treasure, almost like a chocolate chip, adding a beautiful sweet chocolately crunch without any refined sugar or dairy.
Once you start making this kiwi fruit muffin recipe, I think you’ll agree they are so much yummier than the bog-standard muffins at most coffee shops. Because they are packed with nutrients, and also avoid two of the most health damaging foods: sugar and wheat flour (you can see here why sugar is bad for you and why wheat is bad for you), they leave you with a big boost in energy and keep you going for hours.

Kiwi fruit muffin recipe with cacao nibs orange zest

Did you know that there are loads of great nutrients in kiwi skin? A recent study shows that eating the skin triples the fibre intake and preserves much more Vitamin C compared to merely eating the flesh. Don’t let the fuzz weird you out – just rinse and then cut them up or eat like an apple. You won’t even notice it.

Healthy snacks are critical in helping you maintain a healthy diet

As I probably seem to say a lot, I love the portability and ease of healthy snacks.  If you whip up a batch of these on the weekend, it takes you only about 15 minutes of hands on time, and for that simple investment you get 12 lovely chocolately portions from one kiwi fruit muffin recipe. Each contain a whole 1/3 of a banana and kiwi, plenty of heart-healthy almonds and oats, as well as other healthy fats that boost your metabolism and encourage weight loss.

I think this is the best healthy baking recipe that I’ve created so far, and I’m so excited to share it with you all. I hadn’t found a ton of ways to use kiwi yet and because they are such unbelievable sources of Vitamin C, I was keen to find more ways to use them in more recipes. One day I ran out of blueberries right in the middle of making my blueberry muffins for happy arteries. I tried kiwis instead and they were unexpectedly great!

Kiwi fruit muffin recipe with cacao nibs orange zest

There are quite a few nutrient superstars in these muffins. Kiwis provide 273% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C in every one-cup serving, and so eating just one of these muffins gives you 70% of your RDA for Vitamin C! That’s crazy high! When you mix in the nutrients from the rest of the ingredients, you get almost 20% of your RDA for Vitamin E and Manganese, as well as around 10% of your RDA for Magnesium, Folate, Vitamin K, Copper and Iron in every single muffin. Not bad for a baked good that, in it’s traditional coffee shop form, is usually considered nutritionally useless. I am super keen to reclaim the muffin. While it’s not as essential a health warrior as a green smoothie, I love a good tea break treat, and this one actually heals instead of harms!

“The copper in kiwi is especially good for children, supporting healthy development in infants, and also for the formation of healthy red blood cells and building immunity against disease. Kiwi is also one of the few foods rich in vitamin B6, which supports the immune system. B6 is particularly important for healthy fetuses and pregnant or breastfeeding women. The folate in kiwi protects against birth defects, heart disease, and cancer; healthy amounts of fiber keep the system running smoothly, reducing the risk of diverticulitis and carcinogens in the body. Finally, the antioxidant power in kiwis delivers similar effects when it comes to neutralizing free radicals that can damage cells and cause inflammation and cancer.”  -Mercola Food Facts

Don’t let the awesome taste fool you. This kiwi fruit muffin recipe creates nutritional powerhouses that help maintain skin tone and texture, reduce blood pressure and prevent heart disease and stroke. Not bad for a wee muffin, huh? Take a look at the recipe below and have some of these great healthy snacks on hand for when the munchies next hit.

Kiwi fruit muffin recipe with cacao nibs orange zest

 

Kiwi fruit muffin recipe with dark chocolate and orange zest (gluten free, dairy free, vegan option, refined sugar free)

I’ve been making variations of these healthy kiwi fruit muffins every week for the last year and they are now my absolute favourite baked treat. The kiwis keep the muffins really lovely and moist, while the oat flour, almond flour and bananas work together to form a great gluten free structure while still being relatively light and fluffy.
Course Healthy Snacks
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Total Time 41 minutes
Servings 12
Author Laura Livesey

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups roughly chopped kiwis rinsed, skin left on + decorative slices (about 4 kiwis)
  • 1/2 cup cacao nibs

DRY

  • 3 cups oats
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda

WET

  • 4 large ripe bananas
  • 8 pitted medjool dates
  • Zest and fruit of 1 orange
  • CHOICE: 2 chia-eggs mix 2 Tbsp chia seeds with ½ cup water – let sit 10 mins before using, OR 2 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350 F)
  2. Line your muffin tin with “easy-release” muffin tin liners (the “[/fusion_builder_column]
    if you care” brand ones are great) and set aside
  3. Roughly chop your kiwis and set aside. If you want to add a decorative kiwi slice on top of each muffin, then cut 6 slices off a kiwi, and further cut each circle in half, so you end up with 12 half circles
  4. Add the oats, almonds, baking powder and soda into your blender and blend for about 20-30 seconds until you have flour-like consistency. Pour dry mixture into a bowl
  5. Add the banana, dates, orange zest and fruit, eggs, coconut oil, vinegar, and vanilla into the blender and blend until smooth (about 20 seconds).
  6. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones in the bowl, and mix until just combined
  7. Add the kiwis and cacao nibs into the bowl and mix gently a few times
  8. Using 2 soup spoons, spoon the muffin batter into your muffin tin liners. IMPORTANT: Really mound up the batter high in each muffin cup (they won’t rise – so mound them up in the final shape you want – see the picture above)
  9. EXTRA FUN: If you like, top each muffin with a slice of kiwi
  10. Put muffins in oven to bake until they are golden brown
  11. Once done, take muffins out of the oven, and after a few minutes, move them onto a rack to cool down a bit before eating

Recipe Notes

I've included the 2 versions of this recipe that I make frequently. One is vegan. The only difference is version 1 uses chia-eggs (vegan), and version 2 uses eggs. Use what you prefer (see option in the ingredients section). The egg version is a bit fluffier, the chia version is slightly more dense. Both taste awesome!

Kiwi fruit muffin recipe with cacao nibs orange zest

Enjoy this tasty healthy kiwi fruit muffin recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below!