I am Dr. Frankenstein in the kitchen. All food bloggers are. That's where all these recipes come from, our strategically mashing together of ingredients in hopes of bringing the culinary beauty that is rolling around in our heads to fruition. This was one of my more successful kitchen experiments.

This recipe was inspired by a box of not-super-fresh strawberries that had gone into hiding in the very back of my refrigerator. By the time I found them, they were softer than I particularly like for munching. I wasn't quite ready to send them off to the compost bin, so my brain went into overdrive trying to think of some other way to put them to use. A smoothie was the obvious destiny for the squishy berries, but this seemed like the perfect chance to experiment with some strawberry baked goods.

After I strategically threw my favorite muffin ingredients into the the food processor with the strawberries , I waited on baited breath to see what happened. These lovely, tasty, moist muffins are what happened.

When my husband tasted one, he exclaimed "they taste just like strawberry shortcake!" So then I, of course, had to add whipped coconut cream to equation. I just had to! It made the already delicious muffins a little fancier, a little tastier, and look just like a breakfast cupcake...and who doesn't want permission to eat a cupcake for breakfast?

These cupcakes...I mean muffins... are great to make ahead of time for breakfast, a potluck brunch, BBQs, or even as a cupcake stand-in at a birthday! I highly recommend serving the whipped coconut cream on the side, so that everyone can pile on as much or as little whipped loveliness as their little hearts desire. Plus, leftover muffins will keep much better without the whipped topping! Make sure you read the whole recipe through before you plan on baking, as the whipped coconut cream requires the most *minimal* (Yet oh-so important) night before prep.

For Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

9 tablespoons warm water

3 tablespoons ground flax meal

1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and stemmed

1/4 cup maple syrup/honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 rolled oats, uncooked and processed into flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin tin. I used silicone liners for my muffins and had no issues with them sticking. However, if you are using paper liners or opting to not line your tin at all, I would suggest greasing with a little coconut oil.

2. In a small bowl, combine warm water and ground flax meal. Set aside and allow 3-5 minutes for the mixture to gel into a "flax egg".

3. Put strawberries into a food processor. Pulse 5-6 times to chop the berries well. Add the remaining ingredients (including flax eggs) to the food processor and blend until batter is smooth and well combined (you may need to scrape the sides a few times before this process is complete).

4. Using a spoon, fill the muffin tin hole 3/4 full with the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or unril a toothpick inserted into a middle muffin comes out clean.

5. Cool completely before topping with whipped coconut cream.

For Whipped Coconut Cream

1 can full fat coconut milk

1/2-1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (how much you add depends on how sweet you want the cream)

1. The night prior to making the whipped coconut cream, place the can of coconut milk in the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours. The chilling helps the cream to separate and float to the top of the can. This makes it MUCH easier to scoop out and whip better.

2. 15 minutes prior to whipping the cream, place mixing bowl and electric mixer whisk attachment into the freezer to chill. This (also) helps the whipping process.

3. After everything is good and cold, open the can of coconut milk, scoop the thick cream from the top, and put it into the chilled bowl. Add your honey or maple syrup to the bowl and beat with a mixer (using chilled whick attachment) for about 2 minutes (or until the coconut cream can hold a peak).

4. Scoop generously onto completely cooled muffins and eat immediately. Store leftovers in fridge for up to a week.

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins with Whipped Coconut Cream