I love these muffins for many reasons…
- They are super easy, quick and inexpensive to make
- They freeze & defrost nicely if you’re a batch baker like me
- They are nut-free & lunch-box friendly
- Most of all, my picky toddler DEVOURS them (which means she is consuming beans without even realising it)!!!
At the moment I have a 5 year old who eats anything & everything under the sun – her favourite foods are literally things like crispy Brussel sprouts, Roasted Beetroot & Salmon Roe – I know I don’t need to worry about her getting enough nutrient dense food. I also have a nearly 3 year old and despite approaching food pretty much identical to how we did with her older sister (for us this meant, food before 1 was just for fun, Baby Led Weaning, Breastfeeding thru 2 years old, Weston A Price, from scratch food & largely plant-based nutrition). Yet, somehow, little Miss is super picky (there goes my theory that my 5 year old is an awesome eater because we are awesome parents 🙂 . I’m certain little Miss would live on empty white carbs all day every day if I let her. So…. while I want to honour a transparent and positive relationship with food for her, I also want to make sure she is getting the nutrient dense diet she needs, and that sometimes means hiding certain foods in her meals until she is old enough to have more logical conversations around trying new things. Hence, you now have the full background story as to why these egg/bean/yogurt/oats + more muffins are a super win for us!
So here’s the recipe (give or take because that’s how I bake):
Ingredients:
- 15 ounces Black Beans. Ideally dry beans soaked and cooked if that’s your thing, otherwise try to use organic with BPA free lining canned (beans should be rinsed and drained). Can substitute red kidney beans, but I have tried both and prefer the black beans – I’ve also not had enough black beans and done combination of cannellini & black beans.
- 3-4 Eggs (I like 4 for more fluffiness and guess what.. little Miss also does not like eggs)
- 1/4 Cup Honey, Maple Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup (this will make them less sweet)
- 1/4 Cup Rapadura Sugar or Coconut Sugar (if you really need sweeter, feel free to use sugar of choice)
- 1/2 Cup Cacao Powder
- 1/2 Cup Plain/Natural Yogurt
- 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats (Can substitute quinoa flour or similar here)
- 1 tsp bi carb soda
- 4 – 8 drops Peppermint Vitality or Orange Vitality YL Essential Oil
- 100 grams chocolate block (I prefer dark) Chopped into bite sized chunks
Method:
- Add all ingredients except chocolate chunks to either a food processor or a blender.
- Blend/Process until smooth (will be runnier than usual muffin mix)
- Add to lined muffin trays, filling each approximately 3/4 full (these won’t rise much)
- Top with chocolate chunks (this is my little helpers favourite part – with ‘taste tests’ of course – photo below)
- Bake in oven for approximately 18 minutes (or clean toothpick) at 165 C
- Cool Slightly before moving to cooling rack
- I store these in the freezer & then pack in lunch boxes the night before
Enjoy XO
