Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! We have all heard that but we don’t always have time to make sure we stick to having it. I now make a big effort to have something quick and easy but nutritious when I get up and it really helps wake me up.
I usually have a vega shake or a bowl of oatmeal but last week I decided to cook up some healthy muffins. What I like about  being Gluten Free is that your baked goods no longer just consist of wheat, butter and sugar. They now can be packed full of goodness like quinoa, oats, brown rice, almonds, buckwheat and that is just the flour.

Then you can add in berries, hemp hearts, chia seeds, nuts, coconut oil, vega, what ever you like. You can also substitute 1/2 of the fat in any recipe with apple sauce or mashed banana which is what I like to do as it also reduces the amount of sugar you need. The walnut and banana muffins contain as much protein as an egg.

There are a lot of health benefits packed into these muffins, they are high in fiber, protein, good fats and complex carbs which is perfect for a morning snack. Hemp hearts aid digestion and suppress your appetite while being rich in fatty and amino acids and B vitamins. Almond and Oat flour increases brain function, reduces heart disease and lowers cholesterol. Blueberries are high in antioxidants and vitamins. Walnuts are high in vitamin E, they fight against breast and prostate cancer and also protect against type 2 diabetes and heart problems. The list of benefits goes on just give them a try and you’ll see.

Blueberry and Honey oat muffins

Makes approx 16-18 muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of my muffin flour mix
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons of honey or agave syrup
• 2 free range eggs at room temperature
• 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
• 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce ( i simply core and peel a large red apple and blend it in a magic bullet until it is sauce)
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of almond milk
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 6oz organic blueberries
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350f and line your muffin tins. Mix together your almond milk and vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes while it burns into buttermilk. In a bowl combine all of your dry ingredients and mix well, In a large mixing bowl add the rest of your wet ingredients to your butter milk then slowly mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined and smooth. You then want to stir in your blueberries, hemp hearts and chia seeds and pour the batter into the muffin tins filling them 3/4 of the way, Bake on the middle shelf for around 22 minutes or until they are golden brown and springy to touch. Let cool and enjoy, they will also keep well in the freezer.

Banana and Walnut Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of my muffin flour mix
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup of vega or hemp protein powder
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup quinoa flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 5 tablespoons of honey or agave syrup
• 2 free range eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup of mashed banana ( i simply peel and blend it in a magic bullet until it is like a sauce)
• 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of almond milk
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of walnut pieces
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts
• Optional (if you would like to make these more of a treat add 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips)

Optional Dairy Free cream cheese frosting:

Again this is nice if you are having it as a treat but they are nice without it as well

• 1/2 tub of tofutti – dairy free cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons earth balance buttery sticks
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste
• 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Blend all of  the ingredients together and spread onto muffins.

Simply follow the directions above