Muffins can be a great way to deliver much needed energy to growing kiddos. I try to make them nutrient dense as well. Nothing beats the nutrition that a plate of fresh food can deliver. But, for growing kids little energy bombs, like muffins come in very handy.
I truly believe that my sanity is somewhat preserved because of these little gems. That is making the big assumption that I actually have sanity left. I must say, there are days that I feel like it is completely gone. This afternoon, I greeted my neighbor by saying good morning at 4:00 in the afternoon. Most days…sanity is preserved by routine and laser focus coupled with masterful preparation.
As I described in an earlier post…I try to minimize Cameron’s exposure to eggs because of his susceptibility to eczema. So, I experiment with swapping eggs out of recipes with chia or flax eggs.
I have found the muffin becomes very dense and chewy when using an egg substitute. It’s not bad…just different.
When I create a recipe it is usually because I have something to use up. In this case, I went out of town and left menu instructions for my husband. He was suppose to give the kids thawed berries at breakfast and for after dinner treats. He missed the conversation where I told him they were in the refrigerator already thawed and thawed new ones. So, I had a bunch leftover to use up. I also had bananas and quinoa flour.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups mashed banana (2 large)
1 Tbsp chia seeds
3 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup pureed, thawed blueberries and strawberries
3/4 cups coconut milk*
1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp real salt
1 tsp cinnamon
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment liners.
Grind the chia seeds down into a fine meal using a coffee grinder or a high speed blender. Combine the chia meal with water and set aside.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas well. Add coconut milk, vanilla, and chia seeds and beat with a hand beater until combined.
Add the coconut, quinoa, and arrowroot flour along with baking powder, salt, and cinnamon to a medium bowl and stir until well mixed.
Add the dry ingredients to the banana mix. Fold in with a spatula and then beat until combined with a hand beater.
Finally, fold in the berry puree.
Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
*Trader Joe’s has the best price on high quality coconut milk. If you don’t live near a Trader Joe’s, then Thrive Market also has a great product.