The Best Healthy Muffin Recipe

This muffin recipe is the best because it can be made vegan, gluten-free, sweet or savoury and they are refined sugar free too. The original recipe in The Veggie Tree Spring and Summer Cookbook is made with wholemeal flour but I always strive to make my recipes available for all with dietary requirements, so I've added a gluten-free version to the recipe below.

I make this recipe with my Kaeo School cooking classes every term and it's definitely a tried and true recipe that kids love to make and eat! I have had so much awesome feedback from parents too, and I literally make these muffins almost every week for my kids lunch boxes or snacks,

they never really last more than a whole day.

This recipe is very versatile, you can make it sweet or savoury, or use your choice of fruit or vegetable to flavour the muffins. Some suggestions to use are mashed bananas, berries, cut stone fruit, grated apple, pear, carrot or zucchini. If using zucchini or apple, squeeze some of the excess water out before adding.

I like a combination of oat and wholemeal flour, you can make your own oat flour by whizzing up oats in the food processor. My kids don't enjoy buckwheat flour so I refrain from using it, but you could absolutely use it in place of the brown rice or coconut flour for the gluten-free version.

Healthy Muffin Recipe

~Recipe from The Veggie Tree Spring and Summer Cookbook~

Makes 12 regular or 24 minis

Vegan | Gluten-free Gather your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Prepare the chia mix, if using, and the fruit or vegetables: 1 c prepared fruit or vegetable

1 egg

or

1 T chia seeds + 1/4 c water (leave to absorb for at least 20 minutes before adding)

In a small saucepan melt: 1/4 c virgin coconut oil, rice bran oil or butter

Brush the muffin tins with the melted oil. Measure the following ingredients into a bowl: Sweet version: 1/4 c coconut sugar 2 c wholemeal or oat flour, sifted

or

3/4 c brown rice or coconut flour

3/4 c cornflour (starch)

1/4 c hemp hearts

1/4 c ground almonds

1Tablespoon psyllium husk

2 heaped tsp baking powder, sifted 150g dark chocolate, cut up into chunks (optional)

Savoury version: 2 c wholemeal or oat flour, sifted

or

3/4 c brown rice or coconut flour

3/4 c cornflour (starch)

1/4 c hemp hearts

1/4 c ground almonds

1Tablespoon psyllium husk

2 heaped tsp baking powder, sifted

1/2 c grated cheese, dairy or plant-based Combine the following wet ingredients: 200-220ml milk, dairy or alternative 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 T apple cider vinegar

Add the prepared fruit or vegetables to the dry ingredients and stir through, followed by the chia seed mix or the egg and the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined, then spoon into the prepared muffin tins and top with a slice of the fruit used (optional) and a sprinkle of sugar (for sweet ones) or seeds for savoury ones.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool for four minutes before removing from the tins onto a cooling rack.