Vegan Mini Apple Hemp Muffins

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This recipe was created for my dear friend Tracy, and her daughter Suniva, who is in preschool. Tracy wanted to make a healthy vegan muffin that was just the right size for Suniva to take along for a snack to school. The goal? To make a high-protein, gluten-free mini muffin that’s also allergy-friendly and palatable to kids. As an added bonus, it would also be refined sugar-free.

I mulled how best to proceed. I needed a good source of protein that was vegan and nut-free. Trick number one: add hemp seeds, and call them by their other name, “hemp hearts”. Hemp is a protein-rich seed, with a fantastic Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio, supplying your kids with the perfect balance of essential fatty acids. It’s also pretty neutral in flavor and will essentially disappear into the muffin, unlike pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. If you’re sneaking in seeds, then hemp is your way to go.

Trick number two: bean flour. It’s no secret that I’m an anti-fan of bean flours in cookies and cakes, but a little garbanzo flour in muffins is a whole other story.  If you or your child can’t eat legumes, than feel free to stick with just the rice based all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. But if you can, then garfava, or garbanzo flour is your ticket to extra protein.  Enjoy!

Gluten-Free, Vegan Mini Apple Hemp Muffins (AKA, “Suniva’s Muffins”)

Makes 24 mini muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1 heaping cup apple, peeled and diced into 1-centimeter sized pieces
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mix (such as Authentic Foods Gluten-free Classical Blend , or King Arthur Gluten-free Multi Purpose Flour )
  • ¼ cup garbanzo or garfava flour
  • ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons rice milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds (Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds are allergy-friendly)
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1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a mini-muffin pan with 24 mini muffin liners, or grease pan.

2. Place apple in a steamer, and steam about 3 minutes, until tender. Set aside.

3. Combine flour mix, garbanzo flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whisk well to combine.

4. Whisk together canola oil, maple syrup, rice milk, and vanilla.

5. Make a well in the center of your dry mixture. Add liquid, and stir well. Add hemp seeds, and stir to combine.  Add apple, and fold in.

6. Fill liners with batter evenly (the batter will be pretty thick).

7. Bake in center of oven about 20 minutes until very lightly golden, and tops of muffins are just beginning to split. Remove from oven. Let rest in pan about 5 minutes. Then transfer muffins to a cooling rack.  Serve warm.

 

Gluten-Free, Vegan Mini Apple Hemp Muffins

© 2010 by Cybele Pascal

(Please note that all my recipes are completely free of all top allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish, and gluten), so as many people as possible can enjoy them. Additionally, all the ingredients are available at Whole Foods, and online at Amazon.com. If you have trouble finding something, let me know and I’ll help you find it.)

SAFETY NOTE: Because each person’s food sensitivity and reaction is unique, ranging from mild intolerance to life-threatening and severe food allergies, it is up to the consumer to monitor ingredients and manufacturing conditions. If manufacturing conditions, potential cross contact between foods, and ingredient derivatives pose a risk for you, please re-read all food labels and call the manufacturer to confirm potential allergen concerns beforeconsumption. Ingredients and manufacturing practices can change overnight and without warning.

4 Responses

  1. chiko says:

    Hi. I enjoy your blog soooo much.
    I am chiko from Japan.

    i have lots of apples at home! I would definitely try this recipe this weekend 🙂
    I am looking for your posts!

  2. Hi Chiko:

    So great to hear from you! I love Japan! We spent a month in Japan a couple of years ago, and I can’t wait to go back. We are hoping to be back there in 2013. Your country is so beautiful, and the food is so wonderful.

    all best,

    Cybele

  3. RavieNomNoms says:

    Those look outstanding! I love that you have hemp in them! I am so interested in trying that out sometimes!

  4. Dear RavieNomNoms, I hope you enjoy them. They are so good for you too!

    best,

    Cybele

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