Avocado Muffins

Once upon a time I found a recipe for gluten free chocolate avocado cupcakes. They were good. Chocolate is like a secret weapon though, it hides a multitude of misflavors. Unless you are serving a little girl who a) has never liked chocolate and b) recently tested allergic to it. Which may explain why she doesn't like it. Hmph.

The problem? I got the idea of using an avocado to make muffins stuck in my head. Only there would be no chocolate to disguise it. What flavor would be dominant enough to mask the avocado without being overwhelming for little people? Oh- and it wouldn't hurt to lose the green tint as well.

I looked online and found a few recipes that sounded promising, but nothing quite right. So I used the online versions as inspiration and added my own little something to create a muffin that is moist, fluffy, and perfectly balanced in flavor. Says me. It has just a hint of sweet whispering to you, but is savory enough to stand in as a dinner roll. A shy peek of orange flavor appears just as you finish chewing the first bite and then softly disappears. I am loving the way the flavors harmonize without any of them stealing the stage.

You could absolutely add a bit of sugar if you like a sweet breakfast type muffin. Or add a teaspoon of orange zest to enhance the orange flavor. Give in to standard American spicing and add a teaspoon of cinnamon, or shake it up with a splash of ginger. Whatever, as do all of my recipes, this has some wiggle room. Feel free to personalize it.

I'll share what I did, because it was good. Two out of three children inhaled them without hesitation. The third? Unless sugar is one of the first three ingredients, she would rather not partake. Maybe I could drizzle a little warm honey glaze over it for her. Hmm...

Avocado Muffins

1 avocado, peeled and seed removed
1/3 c pumpkin puree (I had a little left. Feel free to use banana or applesauce.)
1/2 c coconut milk
1/4 c hemp milk (feel free to use 3/4 c dairy product of choice- I like to shake up the nutrition)
1/3 c coconut oil (or shortening or margarine of choice)
1 tsp vanilla (as required for any baked goods recipe)
3 Tbsp maple syrup
8 Tbsp golden flax meal + 2/3 c orange juice with calcium, combined and set aside
2 c flour (I used the real thing, feel free to use gf blend of choice, add 1 tsp xanthan)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp hemp protein powder (I've been hiding it everywhere lately)
1/4 c sugar

Puree avocado, pumpkin, coconut and hemp milks, coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup in blender until uniformly smooth. Whisk or use mixer to beat orange juice/flax mixture briefly. (I have found that flax seems to change texture when you mix with a mixer rather than by hand. In a very good way. Just a personal observation.) Add in avocado puree and mix until well combined. In separate bowl whisk together remaining ingredients. Add to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Spoon into prepared muffin tins and bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes. Makes 18 regular sized muffin, or 12 muffins and one mini loaf.


Oh! And one final thought: I did run the nutrition analysis on this. 'Cuz I do that alot. If you would be interested in seeing nutrition information appear for this, or future recipes, let me know. Maybe I'll start adding it in.