After my post about why the paleo diet works, and then my coconut flour post, one of the biggest requests I’ve had is: what can I eat for breakfast if I’m grain-free, sugar-free? You ask, I oblige…here’s a glorious host of options for you to try from bloggers and tweeters and from my own archives. Hope it helps.
PS My personal favourites are the turnip bake and the “corn cakes”…clever!
PPS For my previous paleo breakfast ideas (nut balls, egg + spinach in a cup etc) go here and here and here.
berry crumble-top muffins, recipe below
blueberry crumble top muffins
From Maria at RestCo: This recipe uses both coconut and almond flour. It is best to make these a day ahead and let the flavors meld overnight. Baked goods made with coconut flour taste best completely cooled.
In a food processor or kitchen mixer process the following wet ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup birch sugar (or sweetener of choice)
- 2t vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4t salt
- 1/4t baking soda
- 1/2T cinnamon
- a few grates of nutmeg
- 4T cold butter chunks
- 1/4t salt (skip if using salted butter)
- 1T coconut flour
- 1T almond flour
- 1/2T cinnamon
- a few grates nutmeg
- a splash of vanilla
- 2T birch sugar (or sweetener of choice)
- 1/3 cup nuts (I used almonds)
- 1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup blueberries
primal breakfast casserole, from Mark’s Daily Apple
- 500g pound ground breakfast sausage or other ground meat
- 3 turnips, peeled and grated (a food processor works well for this)
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 3 scallions, chopped
Sauté sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon or spatula, until almost cooked through.
Mix the sausage with the rest of the ingredients.
Spoon into a 8×8 baking pan.
When ready to cook, heat oven to 200 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes then cover the pan and bake for 25 minutes more. Let cool 15-20 minutes so the casserole sets before cutting into it.
sweet breakfast omelette, from Health Food Lover
Michelle says: This omelette is milk free, and can be dairy free if you use coconut oil instead of butter. It is also grain/gluten free. I didn’t add any sugar to the mixture, though I have options to add honey and fruit to serve with it.
- 2 whole eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 T. butter/ghee or coconut oil, to cook with
- optional to serve: (see below for ideas)
In a bowl beat the vanilla with the eggs until thick. Set aside.
Heat the butter in the frying pan on medium heat till the butter has melted and started bubbling.
Add the egg mixture into the pan making sure the mixture is evenly spread around the pan.
Cook until it is firm and all the liquid has cooked. Fold the omelette over itself and then serve how you like.
Things to serve with the sweet breakfast omelette:
- toasted almonds, lemon curd and honey
- nut butters such as almond and macadamia
- fresh fruit such as banana, apple and strawberries
- fill with lemon curd
- a dollop of yoghurt or sour cream
- a dollop of whipped coconut cream
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- chopped pecans
paleo porridge, from Girl On Raw
- 1/2 cup of quinoa – soaked and rinsed.
- 1 cup of almond milk blended with 2 dates for sweetness
- 1/2 t of pumpkin pie spice
Place almond milk and rinsed quinoa in a pot and bring to the boil, then place on simmer until the quinoa has ‘popped’ and all the liquid has soaked into the seed, similar to cooking cous cous or rice.
Stir through pumpkin pie spice and enjoy either warm or cold like a pudding.
Optional: baked apple on top would just set this off.
paleo bread, from Modern Paleo
- 3 cups Almond Meal
- 4 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
- 1/2 cup Flaxseed Meal
- 2 tablespoons Walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 8 Free Range Eggs
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
- 2 tablespoons Vinegar
Place almond meal, coconut flour, flax, salt and baking soda in a food processor and pulse ingredients together. Pulse in eggs, oil, walnuts, seeds and vinegar until well combined. Pour batter into a greased and lined loaf tin. Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes 25 slices. Slices freeze well, toast for breakfast and spread with lashings of butter.
sausage mushroom breakfast casserole, from Jan’s sushi bar
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 450g bulk hot italian sausage
- 220g white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lard
- 1 medium roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 6 eggs
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, divided
Preheat the oven to 190C. Grease a glass 9″ x 13″ baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the lard.
Peel the sweet potatoes and run them through the shredder disc of your food processor, or shred them using the large holes of a box grater. Place them in a large bowl and cover with ice water; set aside.
Crumble the sausage into a large, heavy skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined bowl and set aside.
Without draining the fat, reduce the heat slightly and add the mushrooms in a single layer. Don’t crowd them – you want them nicely browned and almost crisp. Too many in the pan at once will cause them to steam, rather than brown, once they begin to give off moisture. Cook them in batches if necessary. Once they are nicely browned, remove with a slotted spoon and add them to the sausage.
Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the lard, if necessary, to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the onions until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and add to the bowl with the sausage and mushrooms.
Lightly toss the roasted, chopped bell pepper with the sausage, mushrooms and onions. Set aside.
Drain the shredded sweet potatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel. Toss them with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, then spread them over the bottom of the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the sausage/mushroom mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes, covering them as completely as possible.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and coconut milk together with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until well-blended. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and potatoes in the baking dish, making sure the eggs are distributed evenly.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the eggs are set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the foil and return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, if necessary, to brown the top. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes; cut into 6 equal portions and serve.
eggs in purgatory, from The Paupered Chef
- 1/2 – 1 cup of marina (tomato) sauce or however much will cover the bottom of a pan
- Eggs
- Parmesan, pecorino, or any hard cheese
- salt and pepper
Pour the sauce in pan and bring to a simmer. Crack the eggs and gently drop in the sauce. Cover immediately and cook until the top white have set.
Remove with a spatula, or however you can easily do it. Shred some cheese, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
quick and healthy banana bread, from Fitness in the City
- 300g ripe banana
- 3 free range / organic eggs
- 60g organic maple syrup or honey if need be
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60g macadamia nut oil
- Half-teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2tsp baking soda ( bicarb soda) + 1 tbsp lemon juice 200 g (together as the lemon juice activates the bicarb)
- (2 cups) almond meal 200g
- (1/4 cup) 25g ground flaxseed (linseed)
- Walnuts and blueberries to garnish
Preheat your oven to 160 C.
In your blender add: banana, honey, oil, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, bicarb and lemon – then blend until the ingredients are the consistency of a thick smoothie.
Once blended pour into a large mixing bowl to finish the banana bread batter.
Add the almond meal and flaxseed and mix well.
Add baking paper to your loaf tin (the paper can hang over the sides of the tin as it makes it easy to remove after cooked.)
Spoon/Pour the batter into the tin, but before you pop into the oven add a handful of frozen blueberries deep into the batter using a spoon. Sprinkle several walnuts down the middle of of loaf, and finally, dust the top with some cinnamon for a nice golden crunch.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (a skewer inserted into the centre should come out dry). The top should be slightly brown but don’t overcook.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before turning out the loaf on a cooling wire rack.
Keep in an airtight container – will keep for a week.
paleo cornbread muffins, from Paleo for Foodies
- 2/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (If you cant eat butter, mix coconut butter and olive oil)
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Whisk together the coconut flour, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the melted butter. Add the coconut flour mixture to the egg/butter mixture and stir to combine. I used a Kitchen Aid to blend quickly until if formed a dough mixture. Divide the batter amongst 12 greased muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden browned. Take out of oven and let cool. Use in stuffing or eat just by themselves! YUM!
breakfast salmon salad, from Janet Campbell
- Tin pink salmon
- Finely sliced fennel
- Fresh parsley
- Cooked cold broccoli florets (I slice up & use the stem too)
- Couple of stalks spring onions finely sliced
- About 2 tablespoons cooked cold brown rice per person (not paleo, but adds texture – & it’s a very small amount)
- Fresh lime juice & cracked black pepper to taste (optional)
Quantities of fennel and broccoli to your own preference. Just mix all ingredients together and serve cold. Use the lime juice and pepper to season or invent your own mix to moisten and flavour the dish). Serves 2 with one 210gm tin salmon.
bacon and egg cupcakes, from Alan Osman
Alan doesn’t provide a recipe, but I’ve made these before – line muffin tins with bacon or ham, crack an egg in and bake in 200C oven for about 10-12 minutes… sprinkle with feta or chives.
Tried anything similar? Any paleo breakfast tips you’d like to share?
After 45 years of having sweet breakfasts ie. cereal with fruit/raisin toast it has taken me quite a while to get used to having a savoury breakfast since I started eating Paleo. I have to say though that since quitting sugar I find eggs etc much easier to stomach in the morning than I used too. I do still whip up a batch of almond/flax bread every few weeks and indulge in a slice with lashings of butter and a scrape of vegimite!
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Do you have a recipe for almond/flax bread, msjane? Sounds great.
[Reply]
What a great post! These recipes look great!
I have a few favourite recipes for Paleo-friendly breakfasts, but our most-used one is spinach egg muffins. We include ghee and a little bit of heavy cream in them, but we also make them with coconut cream for times when we are being
I am still working on flaxseed recipes that don’t taste fishy from the Omega3 getting stinky after cooking. I think it’s time to experiment with coconut flour.
[Reply]
Hey Sarah,
I’m eating paleo, but a lot of these recipes have eggs or nuts, something I’m currently not eating as I have Crohn’s and Robb Wolf recommends not eating them if you have an auto-immune disease (along with following the standard paleo protocol). Since you’re often doing round up posts like this, I though I’d put in a request for more nut and egg free paleo recipes, for purely selfish reasons!
Thanks!
[Reply]
January 24th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
will do
[Reply]
January 24th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
My fav easy paleo-brekkie is simply leftover dinner followed by 2 TBS of coconut oil. Something to consider? I love my eggs but stay clear of most nuts except macadamias.
[Reply]
June 9th, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Hi Kate,
Just read that you have Crohn’s. I too had it (yes, HAD) about 10 years ago and really badly. I found that my body was saturated with mercury from my teeth fillings. I had the mercury removed and went on a strong natural detox. Today I’m not only totally Crohn’s and any bowel issues free but my body is also completely mercury free.
I strongly recommend you have a hair and saliva analysis to find out if mercury might be the cause.
Good luck and please feel free to contact me for more information.
Eve
[Reply]
I love it … new ways to eat my morning eggs!! I can’t wait to make the egg and bacon cupcakes and the sweet omelette!
Having had something similar to the ‘eggs in purgatory’ in Morocco, I can recommend that too – just make some tomato sauce with spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric etc, add some mint and/or parsley, and voila … super tasty!
[Reply]
January 31st, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Hi Diana.
I hope you like my sweet breakfast omelette recipe! Please let me know how it goes
[Reply]
Lots of yummy treats for break here, Sarah
[Reply]
I just imagine eating any of these things for breakfast…..They seem so dull, dead and just greasy….
I’m sorry, I’m not one to be negative…I just LOVE fresh, coloured, VIBRANT food that sings with life….!
Give me fruit, salad, nuts, fresh seafood and eggs any day, but the meat, cheese, cream, butter….no thank you
I am glad this works well for you Sarah….I just can’t imagine it myself and I also can’t imagine feeling great afterwards….
As I tell my clients though….we are all DIFFERENT!
Cheers to uniqueness and finding what works for you
xoxo
[Reply]
January 24th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Paleo can mean a wide range of things, seeing we are all so unique in what we handle. I eat paleo but can’t handle dairy, so my breakfasts probably look more colourful, but Is till get the beautiful paleo-benefits from how I start the day (fat+protein+bone broth).
[Reply]
Ooooh, those eggs in purgatory look divine! I am definitely making those. Except with a nuclear strength chili kind of sauce!
I’m one for simple breakfasts with few ingredients. Natural yoghurt with flax, LSA mix and slivered almonds. Or eggs with bacon and avocado. Yummy.
[Reply]
Hi Sarah, can you substitute the coconut flour for other flours like buckwheat? I’m not 100% sure what is a grain flour and what isn’t?
[Reply]
January 24th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
Buckwheat is a grain.
[Reply]
January 24th, 2012 at 5:34 pm
“While many people think that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens.”
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11
[Reply]
@Mia, the Eggs in Purgatory are awesome. I was introduced to them by my italian mother-in-law who resorted to making them when she didn’t have time to prepare a more elaborate dinner.
Now, whenever we have some left over passata or tomato cooking sauce you can pretty much guarantee that we’ll be having Eggs in Purgatory for breakky the next day.
A bit of trivia – The recipe for Eggs in Purgatory also appears in the ‘Soprano’s Family Cookbook’
[Reply]
January 24th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Hoorah, eggs AND trivia! I’m excited now.
I know what I’m having for dinner tonight. Excellent.
[Reply]
Great list! Although I’m iffy on whether quinoa is paleo-friendly – pretty sure Robb Wolf says it isn’t. But hey, who is being a purist?
Also, if you’re doing Paleo to lose weight (among other things of course) I’d warn folks to stay away from the ones with lots of almond meal and sweet potato – they are delicious but pretty calorie-dense. Or at least save them for post-work out brekky.
[Reply]
My dietitian got angry at me for eating paleo. She thinks it’s a very unhealthy way to eat because you need carbohydrates to fuel your brain as well as other reasons. Is there any truth in this? I keep reading how good it is and I am confused because I was basically following advice from here, Lola Berry and various other people.
[Reply]
January 24th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
@Sarah, this post from Marks Daily Apples sums up the whole ‘your brain needs carbs for fuel’ fallacy really well. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-metabolic-paradigm-shift-fat-carbs-human-body-metabolism
[Reply]
January 25th, 2012 at 11:24 am
thanks for the article, this makes sense to me. when i started eating paleo, i felt really good and lost some weight as well. i might forward this to my dietician.
[Reply]
January 25th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
You can get all the carbs you need from vegetables and a little fruit (preferably berries).
January 27th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
My dietician recommended going grain-free but not carb-free. Foods like sweet potato are pretty high in carbs, but don’t feel as if they would be bad for the body in moderation.
[Reply]
Sarah, I note the banana bread has macadamia nut oil in it. I was sure that I had read on your site somewhere that we shouldn’t cook with it but just use for salads. Does this mean it’s okay in baking but not in other kinds of cooking? I’d appreciate some clarification as love the stuff and am quite confused now.
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Hi Gray, I have made this banana bread many times with coconut oil instead of the macadamia oil, and it works perfectly and is delicious.
[Reply]
May 31st, 2012 at 9:48 am
Hey Gray,
The main issue with using oils like olive and macadamia in cooking is when frying something at high temperature.Those oils don’t have a high smoking point and will go rancid. In salads and baking it’s fine as they don’t undergo the same heat treatment. Hope that help
Irena
[Reply]
These look amazing Sarah, thanks for sharing. I particularly want to try the muffins… although I fear they may be a little bit TOO nice?
[Reply]
This is a great comprehensive post. Every recipe looks fantastic!
[Reply]
what is birch sugar? is it something that you can buy in Australia?
[Reply]
January 25th, 2012 at 8:20 am
Birch sugar is usually sold as xylitol.
[Reply]
Paleo breakfasts in our house include eggs, bacon (free range smoked), tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and sometimes haloumi (not totally paleo, but I can tolerate some dairy).
I especially love to start the day with homemade greek yoghurt,topped with toasted coconut flakes and toasted nuts – pine, macadamia or almonds. Yummy and simple. Also nice with strawberries or raspberries.
Lately I find that a couple of the nut balls( which I make up into a slice – so a couple of pieces) keeps me going for ages. Today I wasn’t hungry til about 1 pm. This Paleo eating is fabulous. I love it!
And the bonus – both my children who have suffered from eczema for years are free of it! Hurray!
[Reply]
Thank you for these delicious looking ideas! My favourite breakfast at the moment is this one (which due to time I only eat on weekends).
http://butterismyfriend.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/eggs-with-chorizo-tomato/
[Reply]
@sarah according to some researchers the body doesnt need carbohydrate at all
look into the work of dr michael eades – http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/ (also a great blog to follow)
and the work of gary taubes – http://www.garytaubes.com for some great info on this.
i personally like to give my patients some carbs in the form of veges and fruit, as i do to myself, but certainly steer clear of most if not all grains.
[Reply]
lard, coconut oil, sausage, eggs, lashings of butter – they’re all the things I love, but they’re all of the things you can’t have with a cholestral problem –
any suggestions?????
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Hi Lenette,
I eat LOTS of eggs and butter and red meat, and my cholesterol levels are fine and have been for years.
Here is some info on why I (and many others) don’t believe the ‘conventional wisdom’ that foods high in saturated fat or cholesterol have adverse effects on your cholesterol levels.
http://www.29billion.com/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cholesterol
http://www.thincs.org/
http://www.coconut-info.com/diet_and_disease.htm
http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CAE78.htm
http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/no-bologna-facts/
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Hi Lenette, do some research on coconut oil. I think you’ll find it has actually been proven to reduce cholesterol. Just make sure to stick to organic virgin coconut oil and you should be fine. It’s expensive but so worth it!
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Also, sugar is the main culprit in raised cholesterol; so if you’re going sugar-free your cholesterol should be reducing anyway.
[Reply]
Does anyone know how long you can leave almond milk in the fridge once made? i.e. a few hours, a day…
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Mine keeps good for up to a week.
[Reply]
Thanks for this great article – barely seems to be the trickiest meal for many, so this is fab.
I’m a bit confused about quinoa. I’ve read heaps of only ting advice – is it definitely a seed rather than a grain?
Thanks again
Kim
[Reply]
Just a quick Q re the “Paleo Bread” recipe. What sort of vinegar do you use? Thanks in advance, Nic
[Reply]
The muffin recipe list almond flour as an ingredient. This is not the same as almond meal. Has anyone ever found this in Australia? Would love to track it down for this recipe and some on the Elana’s Pantry blog (another Paleo supporter). Hope someone can help.
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Carol, I sent the link to this blog to my sister as she has just started paleo diet. Got a call tonight from my nephew, aged 4, proudly announcing he’d made ‘awesome’ blueberry muffins. She couldn’t find almond flour so replaced it with ground coconut. Seems to have worked just as well – they apparently taste fabulous.
[Reply]
January 28th, 2012 at 8:11 am
My friends and I all use almond meal that we get from Santos wholefoods in bulk and the recipes work just fine, may not be as light in colour as the meal still has the skin on it as it is not made with blanched almonds.
[Reply]
January 28th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
I was at my local health food store today and picked up organic blanched almond meal, which if Google can be trusted, is apparently the closeted thing to almond flour in Oz. Am going to try the cornbread tomorrow. Will let you know how it turns out.
[Reply]
January 30th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Have just taken the cornbread muffins out of the oven. YUM. also made the blueberry muffins and froze them individually for brekky on the run. The blanched almond meal worked well.
Sarah, what is your take on coconut water?
[Reply]
Just knocked up a batch of the paleo cornbread muffins…they are awesome with chilli con carne!
[Reply]
Hi Sarah! Thank you for posting one of my recipes (cornbread) to your site! I hope everyone enjoys it as.much as I do.
[Reply]
[...] of it fascinatingly valid. I’ve written a little about it here and shared some Paleo recipes here. I keep getting asked to share my thoughts, and am often asked by recent sugar-free converts, [...]
Awesome recipe, They look so yummy. Thanks for sharing!
Here is another nice recipe which kids will enjoy making.
http://www.wascene.com/food-drink/recipes/blueberry-muffin-recipe/
Jane
[Reply]
LOVE LOVE LOVE these recipes Sarah – thanks so much! Keep it up! lovin’ your work!
[Reply]
[...] But mostly I’ve resisted because I like to try things fully before I buy it and share it (although I’ve written about it briefly here and shared recipes here.). [...]
[...] recipe I followed said to preheat oven to 200. I found that didn’t cook them enough and I ended up [...]
Please, can you tell me what is coconut flour and where can you buy it in Brisbane? It sounds very interesting.
[Reply]
[...] back. I’ve written about eating Paleo here and here…. with more recipes for breakfasts here… But I’ve had a few requests for kid’s meals, so here you go: some paleo school [...]
[...] http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2012/01/paleo-breakfasts/ [...]
I’ve been playing with paleo on and off for about the last 4 months, but when my CrossFit box put on a 4 week paleo challenge, I thought ‘what the hell, I’ll give it a go’. I made the berry breakfast muffins for the first time yesterday – it really is criminal that they taste THAT GOOD!! So far I’ve made it through the first week, and I have to say that it’s been far easier than I thought it would be. Thanks for the great recipes – I can see quite a few of these ending up on my frequent list!!
[Reply]
Thanks for all the great recipes!! I’m just about to start
[Reply]
Your recipes look really good! I would love to try them, however, can’t use Almond meal or eggs. Trying to do the Paleo Diet, I was wondering if you have any recipes without eggs! I know it is challenging! But I thought I would ask.
[Reply]
[...] http://www.dietas.com/articulos/la-dieta-del-apio.asp http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2012/01/paleo-breakfasts/ http://www.sailusfood.com/2010/11/25/vermicelli-semiya-vegetable-biryani/ Tags: Chicken, Meatball, [...]
Hi there
Love the bacon and egg cupcakes, on here and IQS, just wondering if anyone has cooked a few in advance and refidgerated them for a couple of days for quick grab breakies? Thanks!
[Reply]
[...] Blueberry muffins are an old favourite of ours, but tricky to get right. This recipe is the best we have found to date and the results are delicious….. See here [...]