Gluten-Free Seeded Banana Date Muffins

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As far as I’m concerned, nothing beats a delicious muffin warm from the oven.

Store bought gluten-free muffins are an easy alternative but are far removed from those that are homemade.  These muffins are slightly sweet as I also cut back on the sugar in the original recipe.  If these were made with a 1/4 cup of sugar, they would make a great side for a soup or salad or even as a  Thanksgiving bread.

The original glutinous recipe was found in Sunset magazine, my gluten-free interpretation follows.

One of the best ingredients in these muffins are dates.  If you are unfamiliar with dates, they look like this (see below).  Dates are incredibly nutritious, high in potassium and have a wonderful taste.  I used medjool dates from Trader Joe’s.  They do have a pit in the middle which is easily removed, just cut them open and it comes right out.

Gluten-free seeded banana date muffin ingredients:

1/4 cup of each kind of seed: raw sesame seeds, chia seeds (or poppy seeds), raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of pitted dates
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg (separated) and 1 egg white
3/4 cup cane sugar
1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour {1/2 c. oat flour, 1/2 c. quinoa flour, 1/2 c. brown rice flour, 1/4 c. sorghum flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch, 2 tsp xanthan gum}
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Gluten-Free Seeded Banana Date Muffins Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Coat a 12 cup muffin pan with gluten-free baking spray

• Toast the seeds:
  Place sesame seeds and chia seeds (or poppy seeds) in a pie pan and pumpkin seeds with sunflower seeds in another pie pan for 6-8 minutes until golden brown as pictured above.  Combine the seeds into 1 bowl and set aside.

• Pulverize:
  Using a blender or food processor mix pitted/ chopped dates with 1/2 cup of water until smooth.
  Using a spatula transfer to a mixing bowl and add: mashed bananas, yogurt, oil, vanilla, 1 egg yolk and 1/2 c. of sugar – blend and set aside.

• Prepare dry ingredients:
  Mix the gluten free flour mixture listed above with flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and toasted seeds (leaving 2-3 tbsp set aside for the muffin toppings).

• Beat:
  Beat 2 egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy.  Slowly beat in the 1/4 c. of remaining sugar until you get soft peaks.
  Fold the egg white mixture –> into the banana mixture –> fold this mixture into the flour mixture until it’s incorporated and looks like the picture below.

• Spoon it:
  Spoon the mixture into the 12 muffin cups; they will be quite full (don’t worry).

• Top it:
  Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsps of toasted seeds on the tops of the uncooked muffins.

• Bake the muffins:
  Bake the muffins for approximately 20 minutes or until set and lightly brown on top.  Check with a toothpick if needed.  Pop out of the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

~Approx. 30 carbs/muffin