I’m in love with this recipe for Ginger Quinoa Muffins given to me by one of my friends at the farm. Quinoa gives these muffins a crunchy earthiness and also bumps up the protein-content, making these muffins a delicious and satisfying breakfast or snack.
This recipe was adapted from the classic Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.
- 1/4 cup raw quinoa or 1 cup leftover cooked quinoa
- 1 cup wholewheat flour
- 1 cup quinoa flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/4 cups kefir or yogurt (kefir gives the muffins a mild tangy flavor that I really like, but yogurt works well too)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 to 1 cup of candied ginger (depending on how sweet you want your muffins)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease muffin tins.
If you don’t have leftover quinoa, don’t despair. Quinoa is a quick-cooking grain. Rinse it well in a fine mesh strainer or a regular colander lined with cheese cloth (rinsing is necessary to remove quinoa’s bitter, waxy coating). Put the quinoa in a small saucepan and add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed, about 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes.
Combine the flours, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, and sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the oil, kefir or yogurt, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Add the quinoa and mix. Stir in the candied ginger. Scoop the batter into the muffin tins and bake until firm and the tops are lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.
Like this recipe? You might also like Ginger-Molasses Granola.
Image courtesy of Sgt. Pepperedjane via a Creative Commons license.
This looks delicious! A perfect solution to the bags of ginger and quinoa in my kitchen. Do you have any idea of how to substitute the dairy in this recipe? I'd love to try a vegan version. Thanks!
I'd use soy or coconut yogurt in place of the kefir and 1T flax meal whisked with 3T water for the egg. Just let the flax/water mixture sit for 2-3 minutes before you add it to the batter.
Thanks for the veganization!
Of course! It's what I do. :)
how can I make these w/o flour so gluten free? just add 2 c quinoa flour I assume? would that be OK?
I have never made these muffins gluten-free before, but 2 cups of quinoa flour should work. Or you could substitute the wholewheat flour with 1 cup of Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour plus 3/4 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum.
thanks for your email!
This looks amazing! Got any nutrition facts on these lovelies?
No specifics, unfortunately. They're pretty healthful, though. They have much more protein than the average muffin, and they're low in fat.
Here are a few substitutes if you're concerned about calories: swap the yogurt/keffir for low-fat yogurt, reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup, eliminate the candied ginger, or replace half of the oil with apple sauce.