Apple Quinoa Muffins

I know I have been  doing a lot of  posts about baking lately and I  will be getting back to crafting soon.  I  actually  have a  couple of really cute Valentines crafts coming up in the next couple weeks.  But for now we are on a  baking  spree.

Each Sunday I  try  to  get some baking done  so my  girls have some nutritious nibbles for their lunches.  I  have 2  school aged children and two little ones  at home so whatever I  make I  have to make a lot of. It needs to be  low sugar, because I am on a mission to  minimize the amount of  sugar my kids consume.  It  has to  be healthy.    It has to be baby friendly because I am doing  baby led weaning with my 9 month old, and it has to be tasty because I have two very  picky  children.

Recently I have been  using  quinoa in a lot of  my  baking and cooking  because it is a fantastic grain that has a ton  of health benefits and is a complete protein on it’s own.

A while ago I made  a pumpkin  quinoa  muffin that was really good.  I  figure  since I am on an apple  kick these days that I would  change things up a  bit  and play with the recipe.

After a  couple of attempts, I came up  with a version that I am pretty happy with. If your kids are  picky  about textures you can blend the cooked quinoa with the milk in the recipe and it will produce a smoother texture in the  muffin. This is what I have to do for my oldest two.

Apple Quinoa Muffins                                                                                                                           

2 cups cooked Quinoa

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you could use half whole wheat if you like)

1 Tbs cinnamon

2 medium grated apples

2  eggs

½ cup agave syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 pinch of salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

.

Preheat your oven to 350.  Yeilds 12 Large muffins or 18 medium sized muffins

I use silicone muffin cups, which are fantastic, but if you don’t have those grease a  muffin tin.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl mix together the milk, oil, quinoa, vanilla, and egg.  Stir in the grated apples.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened, and portion out the batter.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top of the muffin springs back when you touch it.

This makes a great addition to school lunches.  Because they are loaded with protein  they fill up little stomachs and  give a great boost of energy.

What are some of your favorite things to put in lunches?