Banana Nut Chocolate Cinnamon Muffins

Image: Jessica Mitton

I love a good muffin! But visiting the local bakery or café can provide some challenges if you are looking for a healthy option. Most muffins are made with dairy, refined sugar and lots of wheat gluten-filled flours. So I set out on a mission to make my own muffin that would be both delicious and made without these pro-inflammatory ingredients.

These muffins are dairy-, gluten- and refined sugar-free! Tasty and moist with the added bonus of some very beneficial ingredients. Some of these ingredients and the nutrients they contain include:

Walnuts

·      Omega-3 (While cooking walnuts destroys this oil, there are still some amazing benefits you can get from walnuts in this recipe! Also, including raw walnuts in your diet is a great way to get your omega-3!)

·      Antioxidants

·      Manganese

·      Fibre

·      Vitamin E

Dark Chocolate

·      Antioxidants

·      Iron

·      Magnesium

·      Manganese

Cinnamon

·      Manganese

·      Calcium

·      Magnesium

·      Potassium

Image: Jessica Mitton

These muffins are nutrient-dense, made without pro-inflammatory ingredients and taste super delicious! Are you ready for some muffin goodness in your life? Here is the recipe:

Image: Jessica Mitton

Banana Nut Chocolate Cinnamon Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Dry Ingredients

¾ cup brown rice flour

¾ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ cup dark chocolate chips (Camino is a great brand!)

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

Wet Ingredients

1 egg

¾ cup banana, smashed (approximately 2 bananas)

½ cup maple syrup

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped

1 tablespoon cacao nibs

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2.     Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.

3.     Whisk all the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.

4.     Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

5.     Use a ¼ cup measure to scoop batter out into paper liners.

6.     Sprinkle with walnuts and cacao nibs.

7.     Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Sources:

"7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate." Authority Nutrition. N.p., 18 Aug. 2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.

 Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for dietary wellness. New York: Avery, 2003. Print.

 "Cinnamon, ground." Cinnamon, ground. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.

 "Walnuts." Walnuts. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.