Banana Muffins

My kids love banana muffins. If you use the small muffin tins, these are the perfect size for their little mouths.  These two-bite morsels are great for lunches, after school snacks or for the quick bite when you are rushing out the door.  I have been playing around with the recipe to make it a little more healthy BUT I do add small chocolate chips!   For the adult version, I avoid the chocolate chips, but add pumpkin seeds.  Try it!

A note regarding the bananas.  They MUST BE be overripe.  Nice and brown and sweet!  I purchase my overripe bananas at the local produce store, in their quick sale section.  Really, they can't ask full price for brown banana's!  I pay approximately $2 for a bag of 15 to 20 bananas.   And they are Organic.  I have seen other stores like Safeway and Superstore with a cart loaded with produce reduced for quick sale.  Overripe Bananas can be placed in the freezer for baking and shakes.

So this isn't your traditional muffin recipe.  I make my muffins with a mixture of Whole Wheat Flour (WW Flour), All Purpose Flour and Quinoa Flour.  I have been baking with Quinoa flour for some time now with success.  You generally can substute it one for one for All Purpose Flour; however, it lacks gluten (the protein that make bread doughs rubbery and stretchy).  For those of you not familiar with the superfood Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH), it is not a grain, but the seed of a leafy plant related to beets and spinach.  Quinoa is an excellent source of protein (22 grams per cup), including iron and calcium.  Quinoa has been one of the primary foods of the Inca Indians for more that 5,000 years and they refer to this sacred grain as "Mother Grain".  I make many dishes where Quinoa is the main attraction; however, it makes a great side dish as it can be substituted for rice.  

OK.  Now for the recipe.....

Preheat your oven to 350 F, prepare your muffin tins with paper or spray with a non-stick cooking spray (I use an olive oil spray)

3/4 cup Quinoa Flour
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup WW Flour
1/4 cup Ground Flaxseed
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup Low Fat Buttermilk
1/2 cup of Applesauce (I like to use apricot  or blueberry flavor by Motts)
1 Egg
3 to 5 really ripe bananas, mashed

Sift all the dry ingredients together (I use a mesh strainer over top of a bowl or lg. glass measuring cup and pour all the dry ingredients into the strainer and shake gently to sift the ingredients together.  There will be germ left in the bottom of the strainer, just pour it in)  In a separate bowl/glass measuring cup, pour in the buttermilk, add the egg, applesauce and the mashed bananas.  Give it a good stir to combine and to break up the egg.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet.  Now to keep your muffins from turning into hockey pucks, gently incorporate the ingredients together. Don't over mix.  Then pour the mixture into your prepared pans, about 2/3 full.  Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.  Keep an eye on them.  Let them rest for 10 minutes before taking out of the pans.  Store in the fridge and heat for a few seconds prior to eating.  Yummy!

I hope these work out for you.  Yours in Good Health! Chelsea