Muffins are a great go to snack for the kids. They also pair well when I do a yogurt parfait. They are sweet enough to act as a dessert and can be made extra indulgent if you cut them in half and add a small scoop of ice cream. The ice cream could be a simple coconut milk and frozen fruit concoction or a traditional ice cream if tolerated. When kids follow a Paleoish diet as mine do it is very important that their growth and energy needs are met with high quality carbohydrates. When you take out all of the processed carbohydrates and grains it is often difficult to meet energy requirements. Muffins made with high quality ingredients are a great source of quick nutrient dense energy. and when made with high quality ingredients they offer a nutrient dense source of energy.
I chose to use sprouted garbanzo bean flour because it is grain and gluten free. It also is a nutritional powerhouse being naturally high in fiber, protein and iron. I typically make the kids’ muffins with sunflower or pumpkin seed, teff, buckwheat, coconut, tapioca or arrowroot flour. But, I wanted to use something different and grain free. I also added plantains to this muffin because I had an extra one that was overripe. These particular muffins were meant to be used as a sweet treat so I used mini chocolate chips. But, if I were to use them for a snacks I would swap them out for sunflower seeds, blueberries, or minced apple. You could also leave them plain. Store the muffins in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to five days. The muffins freeze well and thaw easily when left out on the counter for about 15 minutes.
One final tip…use parchment muffin liners. They work best for alternative flours because they don’t stick.
INGREDIENTS 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed 1 overripe plantain 1-2 Tbsp honey (optional) 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt Optional ingredients: 1/3 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1 cup blueberries 1/2 cup minced apple 1 cup shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin tin with parchment muffin cups. In a medium bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, baking soda, cinnamon, grated ginger and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine bananas, plantains, eggs and apple cider vinegar; mix until well combined and creamy. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour in the melted coconut oil and stir until thoroughly combined. Fold in any of the optional ingredients to create the muffins.
Pour batter into the muffin liners. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Makes 12 muffins.