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Quinoa-Banana Muffins

3.7

(3)

Healthy QuinoaBanana Muffins recipe
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li

Call us persnickety, but we generally disagree with the basic cooking instructions given on quinoa packages, which usually call for too much water, and might explain why you don’t like quinoa. See below for our favorite approach.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 12

Ingredients

¾ cup white quinoa
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1¼ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 very ripe bananas
¼ cup honey
¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
Raw sugar (for sprinkling)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook quinoa in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10–12 minutes. Drain well and return to pot. Cover and let steam 10 minutes. Pour off any condensed water, then let cool. Set aside ¼ cup cooked quinoa for topping muffins.

    Step 2

    Preheat oven to 375°. Coat a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray (do not use muffin liners). Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl.

    Step 3

    Mash bananas, honey, and brown sugar in another medium bowl, preferably with a potato masher, until sugar is dissolved and banana is completely mashed. Add egg and continue to mash until combined. Stir in oil and vanilla.

    Step 4

    Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until combined. Stir in blueberries and 2 cups quinoa. Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle lightly with raw sugar and reserved ¼ cup quinoa.

    Step 5

    Bake muffins until tops are firm, just beginning to brown, and a tester inserted into muffins comes out clean, 30–40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

    Step 6

    Do Ahead: Quinoa can be cooked 5 days ahead; cover and chill.

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