Quinoa Oatmeal Mini-Muffins

Today, I decided to try out quinoa flour for the first time. I actually want to experiment with all gluten-free flours so I thought this was a good starting point. I am a HUGE fan of quinoa in general for its nutritional benefits and use it often, but I’ve never made anything out of quinoa flour. Quinoa has a slightly bitter taste, but I love it and most of you probably do as well! There are definitely many recipes out there that use it, but I had to try it out for myself. I modified a recipe I’ve had for a long time for oatmeal muffins by just replacing the whole wheat pastry flour with the quinoa flour. The end result…the muffins do have a distinct quinoa flavor to them, but are they good? My husband thinks they are fantastic, they are kid-approved, and I kind of like them too. Every time I eat one I like them even more…they are growing on me...yep. I definitely need to experiment with quinoa flour some more and maybe mix the quinoa flour with another gluten-free flour like amaranth. I think that is what I will do next time I make these, which will probably be in the next couple days because I will obsess about it until I try it!  

Have you tried quinoa flour? What do you think about it? If you haven't, try these muffins out and let me know what you think!

Quinoa Oatmeal Mini-Muffins

Yield: 24 mini-muffins

Ingredients:

1 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tbsp water

1 ¼ cup quinoa flour

1 cup old fashioned oats (not instant)

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup date syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup chopped dates

¼ cup chopped pecans

Directions    

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.

Lightly spray a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. Mix 1 tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp water, set aside. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda into mixing bowl.  Add oatmeal and stir to combine. In a separate bowl combine flaxseed meal mixture, almond milk, date syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Fold in dry ingredients and add raisins, dates and pecans.  Mix until just combined. Spoon the batter into muffin pans, filling each one almost to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

Happy healthy eating!

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