Berry and Hemp Muffins

These high protein, balancing and filling muffins were created by the wonderful Emma Ellice-Flint, nutritionist for the menopause Balance App and all round lovely human. You can check out her work here.

As someone who is dairy and gluten sensitive plus. thanks to perimenopause now, histamine intolerant (yep it’s just as fun as it sounds!) I struggle to find snacks that I can eat. I want to eat with a protein focus at every meal and snack and I want it to be tasty because let’s face it, most dietary sensitive foods are pretty cardboard like, so I end up baking a fair bit for myself. These little muffins are ideal in so many ways - easy to make, simple ingredients, adaptable and I batch cook them to fill the freezer and pick one out each time I want one.

Ingredients: Makes approx 12 muffins

Oven: 180 deg fan or 200 regular

200 g gluten free grains such as rolled oats, buckwheat, amaranth and millet (I just use my normal Nairns gluten free porridge oats)

75g hulled hemp seeds (I buy these in a 2kg bulk pack because I use them in everything for a good protein and Omega 3 hit)

100g coconut sugar or unbleached castor sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

100g olive oil

50g honey or maple syrup

75ml water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup blackberries or blueberries fresh or frozen. Or you can use chopped fruit like pear or apple in which case add a bit of cinnamon powder to the dry mix.

Method:

Add paper cases to a muffin tray.

In a blender, grind the gluten free grains with the hemp seeds to a flour consistency. Mix this flour in a bowl with the baking powder and sugar.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg, honey, oil, vanilla and water together thoroughly.

Pour this egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir to just combine. Don’t over mix it.

Add the berries or other fruit and carefully fold them through the mixture.

Fill the muffin cases and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Cool muffins before eating.