Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Muffins
This weekend I am running my first cooking class at The Cooks Workshop in Dural
Teaching how to cook healthy gluten free food
In my clinics I see many newly diagnosed Coeliac (pronounced seal-e-ac) clients
Who find this diagnosis completely overwhelming
So I like to show them how to make easy swaps
And delicious baked goods like these muffins…
Unfortunately many pre-prepared gluten free baked goods are made with very refined, high GI flours
They often contain preservatives and other additives as well to extend their shelf life
But not these…
Buckwheat is my favourite gluten free flour substitute
And you’ll have to come to Dural to find out why!
But if you can’t make it to the class
At least I hope you make and enjoy these muffins
Enjoy 🙂
- ¼ cup ground linseeds
- ¾ cup milk of choice (I used soy milk)
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 2 teaspoons psyllium husks
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarb soda
- ⅓ cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 3 medium over-ripe bananas, mashed
- ⅓ cup (70g) macadamia or extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup (50g) brown sugar (I used rapadura)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- chocolate chips, optional
- Mix the ground linseeds with the milk and set aside for a few minutes
- Heat oven to 170 degrees and line a 16 hole muffin tray with papers
- Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and cocoa powder into a large bowl.
- In another bowl, mash the bananas. then add oil, sugar and vanilla and whisk together.
- Pour the banana mix and linseeds into the flour mix and stir until just combined.
- Spoon out tablespoons of mix into muffin cases.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
- To check if the muffins is done, either press lightly on the surface, if it is done it should spring back. Or use a skewer and poke it into the middle of one of the muffins, if it comes out clean it is done.
- Allow to cool for 5 mins before devouring
For a non gluten free version, simply replace buckwheat flour with 1 1/4 cups plain wheat flour (I would use 3/4 cup wholemeal + 1/2 cup white) and omit the psyllium husks
* * *
BTW don’t be concerned that there is sugar in these muffins
Sugar is perfectly fine to consume in small amounts
If you are making the majority of your food, you will know exactly how much sugar you are consuming and how often
And if you think that sugar is causing everyone in Australia to gain weight, think again
Have you heard of “The Australian Paradox” – the fact that sugar consumption has actually DECREASED during the past 30+ years while Australians have been gaining weight
“The Australian Paradox: A Substantial Decline in Sugars Intake over the Same Time frame that Overweight and Obesity Have Increased”
“The findings confirm an “Australian Paradox”–a substantial decline in refined sugars intake over the same time frame that obesity has increased.”
Sugar can most certainly be a contributing factor to fat gain (and is a contributing factor in many obesity epidemics around the world).
However the causes of fat gain go way beyond just “sugar is making people fat.”
Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257688/
