Gluten-Free Teff Muffins

I have this recipe that I created a few months ago and I thought I would share it with you. It is one of those recipes that is so delicious and so perfect that you don't want to give it away, or share your secret. But here it is, a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, sugar-free divinely delicious and nutritious little muffin, the Teff Breakfast Muffin.

Do you know what teff is? It is a super tiny, gluten-free Ethiopian grain that is extremely high minerals, namely iron. (Teff is probably most well-known for its appearance as a flour in the flat, pancake-like bread, injera - a staple food in Ethiopian cuisine.) Teff is also high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, making it a perfect breakfast food. Being very easy and quick to prepare, you can make your lunch or get ready for your day while the teff is simmering on the stove, it only takes about 15 minutes. See page 106 of our Cookbook for our Teff Breakfast Porridge recipe.

Although teff originated in Ethiopia, it is now grown in the Snake River Valley of Idaho. The story goes, that the company's founder, Wayne Carlson, was in Ethiopia in the 1970's and spent some time as a guest at a local farm. The farmers were eager to show him their crop of teff among other grains. Then once back in the US, Wayne became fascinated at the geographic and climactic similarities of the Snake River region and Eastern Africa. He then decided to grow teff, asking Ethiopians living in the US to work on the farm, thereby reestablishing the relationship of these people to their native grain.

Whole grain teff and its flour comes in different varieties - brown or ivory, both delicious! If you cannot find teff flour in your local co-op or health food store you can buy it online from http://www.teffco.com/ in 5 or 25 pound bags. Bob's Red Mill also sells it but theirs is not ground as finely making it slightly gritty.

Instead of using the typical non-stick pan for baking, I use a stone muffin pan that can be found here. It is so wonderful to bake with, the muffins never stick, everything cooks evenly, and it cleans up easily.

Teff Breakfast Muffins

These hearty muffins remind me of those dark, sweet bran muffins I ate as a child. They are fast and easy to prepare making them a perfect breakfast or afternoon snack. Try making them the night before and you will have a breakfast waiting for you on the counter in the morning! There are plenty of combinations for adding goodies into these muffins, but my favorite is to use grated carrot, chopped apple, currants, and chopped walnuts. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds can also replace the nuts in this recipe.

2 cups teff flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup orange juice
½ cup applesauce
½ cup agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil or melted virgin coconut oil or grape seed oil
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
½ cup Zante currants or raisins
1 cup grated carrots
1 small tart apple, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the teff flour, tapioca flour, ground flax, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk together well.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, applesauce, agave nectar, and oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together. Then add the nuts, dried fruit, and grated carrots, and diced apples. Continue to mix with a large wooden spoon until all of the ingredients are combined. Be sure to not over mix the batter!

Spoon batter into oiled muffin cups and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins on a wire rack. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Yield: 1 Dozen Muffins

Notes: For those with citrus allergies you can replace the orange juice with unsweetened apple juice.

Follow us on Facebook! Subscribe to this Blog!