Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins Recipe and Stevia GIVEAWAY from NuNaturals

More and more online I've seen healthy families turning to Stevia as a sweetener.  I was intrigued.  What did it taste like?  Was it easy to use as a substitute in recipes; to lower calories and still produce snacks tasty enough that my boys would eat them?

NuNaturals was kind enough to send me a large sampling of their products to try, plus tons of recipe ideas.  Their products do not contain artificial or synthetic flavorings.  They are 100% natural and have zero calories. 

 The first thing we did was sample the flavored NuStevia.  It was a hot day, well into the 90s, and we were all thirsty.  It only takes 4 drops in a bottle of water to create a refreshing drink - of course you can easily adjust to make a stronger flavor if you want.  The boys love the orange.  My favorite is the vanilla - I love the subtle sweet taste of it.  I have been trying so hard to completely stop drinking diet soda, and Stevia came along at just the right time.  I find myself choosing to drink bottle after bottle of Stevia flavored water - if you know me personally you will know how wonderful this is! I feel so much better throughout the day because I'm more hydrated. 

I looked over the recipes that NuNaturals sent, and decided ultimately that I wanted to create my own original recipe.  I was a little nervous, since I'd never used Stevia before in cooking, but I just perused the recipes to get an idea of how it was being used in proportions (a little goes a long way).  Then I went to work to create a batch of muffins.  Why muffins?  Because they tend to be very forgiving.  The key is just to make sure you get the appropriate balance of wet/dry ingredients, and then you bake whatever you concoct at 400* for 20 minutes.  Here is the recipe I created for Sweet Potato Pecan Spice Muffins:

Ingredients -
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1/4 cup room temperature coconut oil
1 cup milk
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend
1 cup flour
1/2 cup milled flax seed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400*.  Mix the first 5 ingredients.  Once well blended, add the next 6 ingredients, beating as you go.  Fold in raisins and pecans, and fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Yield: 15 muffins.

So the verdict on these?  The boys ADORED them!  They each ate two a piece, just as soon as they were cool enough to touch!  They are tender muffins full of goodness.  And I am delighted by the Stevia - it is so easy to use and I love eliminating some of the calories from sugar.  I can't wait to test it out in other things I cook.

So now, readers, are you thinking you'd love to try it?  Well NuNaturals has been generous enough to offer a giveaway.  With FOUR winners!  That's right four of you will receive one bottle of lemon and one bottle of orange flavored Stevia.  Just click on the "Read More" below my signature to enter.  Also, if you don't want to wait, you can order some from NuNaturals and use the code BLG1212 for 15% off when you checkout.  Giveaway ends at midnight July 10.

Disclaimer: I was sent various products from NuNaturals to try.  The opinions stated above are all my own.
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