Chocolate School Muffins -- a sugar free, gluten free, nut free, grain free delicacy

I continue with making lunch box fare for my 4 year old. I keep coming back to a variation on the chocolate muffin because of his enduring a reliable passion for chocolate. These muffins are not really sweet, because the large amount of raw cacao is bitter enough to counteract even the datey-est of dates. However, the taste is very pleasant and satisfying, and they provide a solid belly-filler around which to build a lunch box. I got one of those little quad boxes for LZ, and will put steamed broccoli in one (tried baby tomatoes, carrots, celery etc, but he just wants broccoli), cubes of cheese in one, and some grapes or macaroons or energy bars in the fourth. It gives good variety, good nutrition, and plenty of energy to keep a small human going all day. I also send a separate snack box with a few energy bars in case he needs it, but he touches that rarely. Well, I recommend these to anyone who wants a nut-free, gluten free, wholesome meal for breakfast or lunch. If there are any seeds you don't like, it's easy enough to substitute. Hate pumpkin? Use sunflower! Hate sesame? Use extra hemp hearts. It's all good.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (organic and unrefined)

1 cup pitted honey dates

2 cups hot water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 eggs

1/2 cup raw cacao

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1tsp ceylon cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp ground chia seeds

1 cup ground pumpkin seeds (or 1 cup of ground sunflower seeds, or some combination of the two)

1/2 cup hemp seeds 

1/2 cup ground flax

1/4 cup ground black sesame seeds

1 cup shredded coconut -- ground

1/2 tsp baking soda

directions:

1. combine the dates, coconut oil, and hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then, puree with an immersion blender. Alternately, you can use a food processor, or a regular blender.

2. add the cacao, vanilla, salt, ground chia seeds, ground pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds), hemp seeds, ground flax, ground seseame seeds and blend again

3. add the baking soda and blend

4. add the eggs and blend

4. stir in the ground shredded coconut

5. scoop into prepare muffin cups and bake at 345 for 40 minutes