Buckwheat Bran Apple Muffins
These muffins make a great nutritious breakfast and/or snack. Love them!
Light, fluffy, satisfying, nutritious, tasty and not so sweet, yet sweet enough. It’s the perfect gluten-free muffin!
Muffins… are they the same as cupcakes? I always wondered if muffins were healthier, since they are less sweet, and can be eaten during meal time. I was right! Muffins can be a great snack, (healthy ingredients, please) and you can experiment with different nutritious and yummy toppings. I use to think all muffins are created equal. Not the case at all! Some muffins are loaded with sugar, white flour and other ingredients that can be dangerously tasty. Calling a cupcake a muffin can trick you into thinking it’s healthier. My suggestion: read the ingredients before purchasing store bought muffins, or create your very own muffins in your kitchen. It’s so rewarding to DIY!
This Buckwheat Bran Muffin - inspired by Joyful Belly (with a few Genia options), is the type of muffin that can be eaten for breakfast to jumpstart your day, or between meals to keep you going. The sweet and warming taste you’ll experience from this muffin will leave you light and satisfied. The spices in this recipe are beautifully paired. As the muffins are baking, the aroma throughout your home will be as though you lit a delicious scented candle.
Genia’s spoon me tips:
Tapioca - a root of the cassava plant - is a great starch to help bind ingredients together in baking. I love the way these muffins bake in only 20 minutes - fluffy, light, and spongy in texture. Gotta keep tapioca in your pantry!
Buckwheat Flour is gluten-free: those with any gluten allergies can benefit from this highly nutritious seed - it’s a super food, similar to a grain. It can lower cholesterol and relieve constipation, because it’s high in fiber. One cup of buckwheat has 150 calories - perfect for a sustainable breakfast. One of my breakfast treats is a cooked bowl of buckwheat, better known as kasha or groats, topped with ghee: clarified butter, hemp seeds, and a sprinkle of Himalayan salt. Two of my three sons love this dish. One day my third son will hopefully come around, and with an open heart I’ll heat up a kasha bowl for him, too.
When you buy buckwheat flour, place in the fridge or freezer after you open the bag to keep the flour fresh, because buckwheat contains a natural oil that can make the flour go rancid quickly.
I use a 12-cup muffin tray - these muffins will rise high like a perfect puffed pastry.
My husband had these muffins straight out of the oven for breakfast with a smear of butter and gave two thumbs up! This is coming from someone that loves a high sugar-laden muffin. Speaks volumes! I highly recommend (but not necessary) to spread butter or jam on your muffins. Food is an experience - make it delicious!
Mis En Place - wet and dry ingredients - when all ingredients are right in front of you cooking and baking is so much more fun
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and stick a knife or pic in the center of muffin to check if ready.
Recipe
1/2 cup almond milk or soy milk or hemp milk
1/2 cup apple sauce or apple cut up in small pieces
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 tbsp butter unsalted or vegan butter or coconut butter - to grease muffin cups
2 tsp cardamon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger powder
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup rice bran or oat bran
1 cup tapioca
2 oz dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
Instructions
preheat oven to 350 degrees
prepare 12 - 16 muffin baking cups and grease gently with butter
in large bowl combine all dry ingredients: buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, rice flour or oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cardamon
in another bowl combine wet ingredients: whisk milk of your choice, eggs, maple syrup, applesauce
add the wet and dry ingredients and combine until smooth
add cranberries and nuts or seeds
spoon mixture into muffin cups
bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean
let cool in tray for 10 minutes before serving
Love your muffins,
Genia