Banana Mango Millet Muffins

When I find myself in the kitchen, head in hands, asking "What can I make for (fill in the blank)?" the answer I almost always arrive at first is Muffins. I'm not saying it's always the best answer (although, I'm sitting here trying to think up instances when it would really be the wrong answer. . . and I'm not coming up with anything), just that muffins might very well be my signature dish (if muffins even qualify as a dish?). Even when I don't really want to cook, I don't mind making muffins. Delicious + Easy = Muffins = Best Ever

The kids started school last week, and oh my, was it ever a crazy week!  By the time I rolled out of bed on Saturday, hardly feeling like I'd even made a dent in the exhaustion that built up all week, I decided I need to reevaluate our weekday routines. What can I make for more simple breakfasts/lunches this week? Well, Muffins, of course. More specifically, Whole Grain Banana Mango Millet Muffins.

I enlisted the help of Princess Ada, because princesses do a better job of mashing bananas than ordinary mums like me. With a royal helper, I managed to make a few dozen muffins to keep in the freezer to pull out for quick breakfasts, lunchboxes, and after school snacks. I feel more prepared for the week ahead now.

We set a few muffins aside, of course, to be enjoyed hot out of the oven with a pat of sweet melted butter. Princess Ada proclaimed these The BEST Muffins EVER, and with her refined royal taste buds, she would know. You can trust a princess. 

Because I make muffins so often, I always want to try new flavor and grain combinations. Whole Grain Banana Muffins  have been some of our favorites lately, so I decided to put a new twist on those.

For even more flavor, I added in pureed mango (with a few chunks just for fun). I also tossed in some cooked Millet, which in addition to adding another serving of healthy whole grains, makes the muffins even more soft and tender. Love at first bite, totally.

And so, Princess Ada and I are pleased to present these Banana Mango Millet Muffins. They are so delicious and so easy I can already imagine the temptation to answer  "What should I  make for Christmas Dinner?" with "Muffins, of course."

Yield: 12 medium muffins

Banana Mango Millet Muffins

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
• 2 cups spelt flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup yogurt
• 2 bananas mashed
• ½ cup mango puree (see note)
• ½ cup cooked millet

Instructions

1. Grease each cup of a standard 12 cup muffin tin and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Stir chopped nuts into flour mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, egg, honey, oil, banana, and mango. Beat until smooth. Stir in cooked millet.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Fold wet and dry mixtures together, being careful to not over stir. Batter will be lumpy, not smooth.
5. Fill the prepared muffin tin cups ⅔ full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden and spring back when touched. Cool on wire rack and serve warm.

Notes

I left some mango chunks in the puree, which adds some flavorful texture to the finished muffins.