Apple-Cheddar Quinoa Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Servings: 12

Serving Size: 1 muffin

Active Time: 20 minutes

Active Time (mins): 20

Total Time: 50 minutes

To Make Ahead: Individually wrap in plastic and freeze airtight for up to 1 month. To reheat frozen muffins, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

Equipment: Muffin tin with 12 (1/2-cup) cups

Recipe Description:

In this savory quinoa muffin recipe, grated apple adds moisture, quinoa adds protein and sharp Cheddar cheese makes these healthy muffins a perfect pairing for soups and stews. To make these quinoa muffins gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole-wheat flour.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or gluten-free flour blend
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup grated peeled apple
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or scallion greens
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

Recipe Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners and spray the liners.
2. Whisk quinoa flour, whole-wheat flour (or gluten-free flour blend), baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, apple, oil and chives (or scallions) in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add half the cheese and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
3. Bake the muffins until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips & Notes:

• Look for quinoa flour in the baking section or near gluten-free flours. To make your own, grind whole grains of quinoa into a powder in a clean coffee grinder.
• Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat and contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat. Both flours provide the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Find them in large supermarkets, natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com and kingarthurflour.com. Store in the freezer.
• No buttermilk? You can make “sour milk” as a substitute: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup nonfat milk; let stand for about 10 minutes before using so the acid can sour the milk.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 169 calories; 7 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 42 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrate; 1 g added sugars; 4 g total sugars; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 306 mg sodium; 70 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (20% daily value)

Copyright:

© Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission.