Spinach Quinoa Muffins

I’m good about eating breakfast every morning and  lately I have been wanting some new options. Preferably something baked, healthy muffins or a bread, that can easily be a grab and go out the door type of thing. I was searching around taking a peek at all the variations of delicious spinach cheesy herb muffins out there. Tasty, yes but not exactly what I had in mind. I like baking and eating healthy fare, and I wanted to use up some fresh spinach and quinoa I had leftover from last night’s dinner.

These muffins may look quite interesting and very green but, I’m telling you, they are good. I found a variation and decided to use it as a base for my muffins because I loved the idea of processing the spinach to an almost puree. I used 1 mashed banana to add moisture to the batter but I suppose you could try carrots or zucchini as well. As for the walnuts, almonds could be a great alternative as well. Or maybe some raisins instead for a different texture.

If you are looking for a different sort of breakfast muffin that is loaded with protein, calicum, folate, and vitamins look no further. And just so you know, these muffins do contain a little sugar so they are not completely angelic. But, they are definitely a great alternative to your usual morning blueberry or bran treat.

Spinach Quinoa Muffins (adapted from here)

Dry Ingredients:

Makes 9 muffins

1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cooked quinoa

Wet Ingredients:

1 egg
1/2 cup palm sugar
1 medium mashed banana
2 cups of dry spinach leaves (should amount to about 1 cup of processed spinach)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon

chopped walnuts or almonds

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 12 cup muffin tin. I was only able to get 9 muffins out of this batch so I filled the empty muffins cups halfway with water for even baking.

Put 2 cups of dry baby spinach leaves into the food processor and pulse until the leaves resemble a puree. You should have about 1 cup of  chopped spinach total.

Combine dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk. In another bowl, whisk egg and sugar together until incorporated and light in texture. Add remaining wet ingredients and whisk. Pour dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir just to combine – do not over-mix. Gently fold quinoa into the mixture.  Pour batter into muffin tin to about 3/4 full each. Top each muffin with chopped nuts of your choice.

Bake for 15-19 minutes until centers set or a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Enjoy while warm!

Tagged as: Baking, Breakfast, good for you muffins, green, green muffins, healthy, muffins, protein muffins, quinoa, spinach, spinach quinoa muffins, sweet and savory muffins, walnuts