Muffins had been missing from my baking routine for a while, so it was time these Healthy Quinoa Banana and Strawberry Muffins made an appearance. The addition of cooked quinoa to this recipe gives the muffin tops a chewy texture.
A great homemade muffin is very versatile. It can be a quick breakfast, mid-morning snack, afternoon treat, or even satisfy a late-night craving. Whenever you need a sweet treat, a great muffin can fill the bill.
I’ve had success baking with quinoa flour previously, making chocolate chip cookies, but this is my first attempt at baking with cooked quinoa.
This recipe take a little longer to prepare than most standard muffin recipes. You need to allow time to cook the quinoa and cool it before adding to the flour mixture.
However, once you’ve prepared the quinoa, the directions are similar to most muffin recipes. The chewiness the quinoa gives to the muffin tops is definitely worth the extra prep time!
I prefer to use muffin cup liners, but these muffins are moist enough that you could easily spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray instead. The batter is thick so I used a small ladle to fill the muffin cups.
Bake the muffins for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan before enjoying.
These muffins freeze really well. I froze them in packs of two so I could pull out a pack and thaw them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds on high and they are perfect with a cup of coffee, tea or your beverage of choice.
While Jim likes a big breakfast on the weekends, during the week it’s a different story. Give him a big cup of coffee and one of these muffins and he’s good to go.
If you’re looking to change up your breakfast routine, give these Healthy Quinoa Banana and Strawberry Muffins a try. The flavor combination of strawberries and bananas, along with the chewy texture of the quinoa will have me making these muffins again and again. Enjoy!
LOOKING FOR MORE MUFFIN RECIPES?
- Triple Berry Gluten Free Muffins
- Easy Sweet Cornbread Muffins (Gluten Free)
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Almond Butter Oatmeal Muffins
Follow my Gluten Free Breads and Muffins board on Pinterest.
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- 1/4 cup quinoa
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup gluten free flour
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup ripe banana, mashed
- 1 cup frozen strawberries, diced
In a small saucepan, bring the water and quinoa to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and leave the covered pan on the burner for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a regular muffin pan with baking cups.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the cooked quinoa and mix until combined.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil together. Add in the sour cream, egg, vanilla and mashed bananas and mix until combined.
Add the frozen strawberries to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Do not overmix or the muffins will be tough.
Spoon the batter into the 12 muffin cups.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan.
Recipe slightly adapted from Strawberry Banana Muffins, page 130 of Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood
MmmMmm good.