Have you ever tried quinoa? It’s one of my favorite things to eat and I love how delicate and nutty the flavor is. It’s often mistaken for a grain, but it’s actually the seed of a plant that is related to beets, chard and spinach. Quinoa comes from the Andean mountain regions of South America and has been a staple food in the indigenous cultures there for thousands of years. It’s a very nutritious and amino acid and protein rich food. When cooked correctly, the it becomes fluffy and creamy, but retains a slight crunch. I love using it instead of rice or other grains, or adding it to soups and stuffing peppers or squash with it. It’s great for breakfast in place of oatmeal or used in muffin recipes.

Rinsing quinoa before cooking is important because it gets rid of the soapy saponins residue that may still coat the quinoa. The way I do it is put the quinoa in a very fine mesh strainer and run cold water over the quinoa, gently rubbing the seeds together with my hands. Then I taste a few seeds and if they still have a bitter taste, I rinse again.

For this recipe I cooked 1 cup of rinsed quinoa with about 1 cup of water because I always like a little leftover for other uses. I bring the quinoa and water to a boil then reduce it to a simmer, cover, and cook it until the water has been absorbed. That takes about 15 minutes or so and the quinoa should be tender. I like this particular muffin less sweet as I tend to add either honey or preserves when I’m ready to eat them. If you want them sweeter, please adjust the amount of brown sugar you put in the batter accordingly.

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice. I like to add cardamom instead of cinnamon sometimes)
1 whole egg
3/4 cups of unsweetened pumpkin puree (try roasting your own pie pumpkin!)
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unrefined macadamia nut oil (or ghee)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

You’ll need a standard muffin tin either coated with oil or ghee. I like to use those paper muffin cups to make clean up easier.

1. Combine the flour, sugar, spice of choice, baking powder & soda, and salt. Add the quinoa and make sure to separate the grains gently with a fork and distribute evenly.

2. Beat the egg, milk, pumpkin, oil (or ghee), and vanilla extract in a smaller bowl until smooth. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just incorporated.

3. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake in a 350ºF oven for about 30 minutes, or until the muffins are browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins rest on a wire rack for a few minutes and then turn them onto the rack to cool.

I love having a warm muffin and since I made cajeta recently, I had a little on top to add just enough extra flavor and sweetness!