Chia Seeds
are the new super food that
health experts are talking about. These seeds have been shown to suppress
appetites while providing protein, calcium, and omega-3s. These very tasty
Banana Chia Seed Muffins are a delicious and easy-to-make way to incorporate
chia seeds in your diet. These muffins make a great breakfast meal as they only
contain 190 calories each.
Check out Linda's Bread Making Hints:
Secrets to using the bread machine,
About yeast in bread making,
Sourdough Starter, and
Quick Breads
Check out all of Linda's great
Bread Recipes for your bread making.
Banana Chia Seed Muffin Recipe
Recipe Type:
Muffins,
Bananas,
Chia Seeds
Yields: 12 muffins
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients:
2 very ripe
bananas, mashed (preferably overripe)*
1 tablespoon ground or whole
Chia Seeds (your choice)
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup firmly-packed brown
sugar
3
egg whites
6 ounces vanilla or plain yogurt**
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose
flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, ground***
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
* To ripen bananas, allow green or yellow bananas to ripen at room temperature until the skin is covered
with brown spots. Use a potato masher, fork, or spoon to mash the bananas, leaving no chunks of banana.
** You could use any flavor of yogurt that you desire.
*** Make a powder out of the rolled oats by putting into the blender or food processor.
Preparation:
Chia Seeds: You may know Chia as
the sprouts that grow on the porous clay figurines called Chia Pets, however
there is much more to it than that! Chia has both nutritional and medicinal
benefits. The seeds are an excellent source of essential fatty acids and are a
great addition to a healthy diet. Chia Seeds are an edible
seed that comes from the desert plant "Salvia hispanica," a member of the
mint family that grows abundantly in southern Mexico. The seeds are either white or black and both
types are highly nutritious. Learn more about the
Ancient Chia Seed - How it Can Benefit Your Health.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle
position. Grease or spray the muffin tins with non-stick oil.
In a bowl, combined the
mashed bananas and chia seeds; set aside.
In the bowl of your electric
mixer, cream butter and brown sugar just until mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg
whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
Remove bowl from your
electric mixer and stir in the all-purpose flour, ground rolled oats, salt,
baking powder, and baking soda until dry ingredients are moistened.
Fold in the banana/chia seeds mixture.
NOTE: Bake
all quick breads as soon as the ingredients are assembled.
Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake
approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean. A good check is to use an instant
digital thermometer to
test your muffins. The temperature of the muffin should be at 200 degrees F.
This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world.
When done, remove from oven and as soon as they have cooled enough to handle,
remove the muffins from pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes 12 muffins.
Banana
Chia Seed Muffins - Nutritional Information