3-Ingredient Banana Quinoa Muffins {vegan, oil-fee, GF}

3-ingredient banana quinoa muffins, made with bananas, quinoa and oats! They are vegan, flourless, oil-free, refined sugar free, and only 101 calories each.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Today’s post is worthy of a leap of joy for their 3-ingredient ease (quinoa + banana + oats) and wholesomeness:

A Modern Approach to Oil-Free Muffins

They have a backstory. Some of you may be too young to remember, but there was a time, not too long ago, when the dominant diet fad was fat-free everything. Fat-free cookies, Fat-free cheese. Fat-free chips. Fat-free candy. You get the drift: so long as it was free of fat, it was “healthy,” regardless of whether the remaining ingredients were wood pulp, high-fructose corn syrup, and plastic polymers.

It was during this craze that I began teaching fitness classes. “Cynthia” was one of my managers, and from what I observed, she subsisted on a diet of black licorice (it’s fat-free), diet Coke, and her homemade, fat-free, 3-ingredient banana muffins. I thought she was very cool, so I asked for the recipe. She obliged. The ingredients? Equal amounts of mashed banana and bleached, self-rising flour, plus 1/2 cup egg whites.

“You can eat as many of them as you like,” she instructed, “They’re fat-free.”

I made them. I ate as many as I liked, which, after one bite, was zero. Apparently, I am allergic to foods that can bounce.

I’m not, however, averse to minimalist muffin recipes. Welcome the 3-Ingredient Banana Muffin of 2016. Unlike its predecessor, it is both edible and delicious. Add to that vegan, gluten-free, and packed with wholesome goodness.

Ingredients for 3-Ingredient Banana Quinoa Muffins

The three essential ingredients for these satisfying energy muffins are as follows:

1. Mashed very ripe banana
2. Cooked & cooled quinoa
3. Uncooked oat bran or rolled oats (certified gluten-free, as needed)

A generous pinch of salt can also be added.

Adding Extra Ingredients (Toppings or Stir-Ins)

The three essential ingredients can be amended to include a variety of toppings (e.g., nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.). Alternatively, stir any of these options directly into the batter.

Spices, vanilla or some extra sweetener can be added, too, so flavor and accessorize as you like!  I think these benefit  from a smidge of sea salt, too, as it heightens the natural sweetness of all three ingredients.

These are delicious, dense, moist and filling, i.e., great fuel on the go, from school or work to backpacking to fitness class. And for the record, they are firm enough to withstand a rough & tumble ride in a backpack, lunchbag, fannypack or purse. Eat on!

1. More Quinoa Muffins and Snacks:

   1. Multi-Seed Quinoa Crackers {vegan, gluten-free}
   2. Vegan Quinoa Omelet Muffins (vegan, high-protein, gluten-free}
   3. Vanilla Quinoa Pudding {vegan, gluten-free}
   4. Mushroom Kale Quinoa Muffins {vegan, oil-free, GF}
   5. Cinnamon Quinoa Oat Muffins {vegan, gluten-free}
   6. 4-Ingredient Chocolate Quinoa Muffins {vegan, oil-free, GF}
   7. Blueberry Quinoa Oat Muffins {vegan, oil-free, GF}
   8. Chocolate Chip Banana Quinoa Muffins {vegan, GF, flourless}

Continue to Content

3-Ingredient Banana Quinoa Muffins {vegan, oil-free, GF}

Yield: 5 muffins

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

3-ingredient banana quinoa muffins, made with bananas, quinoa and oats! They are vegan, flourless, oil-free, refined sugar free, and only 101 calories each.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup mashed very ripe bananas
•  1/2 cup rolled oats or 1/3 cup oat bran (certified GF, as needed)
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease, line or spray 5 cups of a standard muffin tin.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the quinoa, banana, oats (o oat bran) and optional salt until blended. Add any stir-ins, if using. Divide batter between prepared cups (add toppings, if using).
3. Bake in the prehetaed oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and set at the centers. Transfer to wire rack and cool for 15 minutes and then remove from tin. Serve warm or cool completely.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 2 weeks or freezer for 3 months.

Variation: Replace the mashed banana with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. Since applesauce is not as sweet as ripe bananas, you will most likely want to add a little bit of sweetener to taste.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size 1 muffin
Amount Per Serving Calories 101Total Fat 1.3gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1mgCarbohydrates 20.3gFiber 2.5gSugar 4.4gProtein 3g

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