I’m a big fan of adding quinoa to baked goods. Especially muffins! Quinoa muffins are really, really good. Like as in, better than their non-quinoa counterparts. As in, I’d make my muffins this way even if the addition of quinoa didn’t make them healthier. Yes, they’re that good. If you haven’t tried some quinoa baking yet, it’s time to get to it
For this batch of quinoa muffins, I wanted to go seasonal. I made my quinoa muffins with cranberries. You know how when you go out and do your Thanksgiving shopping, you always see that two-for-one special on fresh cranberries, with that sign that says to freeze the second bag? I always fall for that, and usually the second bag gets forgotten in the abyss of my freezer until the following August, at which point the berries are severely frostbitten because I didn’t wrap them up properly, thinking I’d use them so quickly that the act of even freezing them would seem silly. Well not this year. (Take that, Ocean Spray and your twofer deal!) This year, I got on those berries right away. In fact, I didn’t even freeze them. I have, at least partially, quinoa to thank for that, because where there’s quinoa, and where there’s any suitable muffin mixer, there’s an excuse to make some quinoa muffins, which always get eaten. My husband takes them to work and gobbles them up as an afternoon snack. I nibble on them over tea at bedtime. Healthy baked goods are the bomb.
So, how does one get quinoa into a batch of muffins, you’re wondering? You can actually replace about half the flour in most muffin recipes with cooked quinoa. That’s just what I did here. Remember: start with cooked quinoa. This is important! I’ve heard from people who made the mistake of putting raw quinoa into baked goods and coming close to breaking their teeth. I’ve included the quinoa cooking step in this recipe so nobody makes that mistake, but if you decide to try a less specific recipe or quinoa-ify grandma’s old banana muffin recipe, make sure to cook the quinoa first. Toss your cranberries with a bit of sugar. I like to do this because cranberries are super tart. If you’re opposed, feel free to skip this step. Mix your cooked quinoa in with your dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients. Stir everything just until blended, then fold in the berries.
Top with pecan halves, if you like, and bake until fluffy and oozing with burst cranberries.
Enjoy with a cup of tea. Or over holiday brunch. These are great for brunch!
If you have some leftover quinoa on hand, feel free to use that instead of cooking up a fresh batch of quinoa for these muffins. In any event, make sure the quinoa is cooked before adding it to the muffins. Keep your teeth! These would be equally awesome with blueberries instead of cranberries. Don’t overmix the batter. Always with muffins and quick breads, stir just until blended. These muffins are very freezer-friendly. Seal them up in a freezer bag and they should be good for at least 3 months. Can these be made gluten-free? I’m not sure! But I think oat flour or an all-purpose gluten-free blend in place of wheat flour would be your best bet if you want to give it a try.
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