These delicious muffins caused quite a stir when I first posted pictures of them on facebook. At the time I demolished them too quickly and before I knew it there were no muffins left to take photos of!  I must say I consider that a sign of a good batch!

I had the lovely helping hands of my mum making this recent batch. You will see her making an appearance in the photographs along with my dad modelling eating the muffins (such a hard job). Between us all we made the final tweaks to the recipe that have made them super successful. The final result is a toffee like crumble nestled gloriously upon a moist (sorry there is that word again) spiced muffin.

These muffins are full of complex grains and are perfect as an afternoon snack with their touch of sweetness. They can be great in the evenings too after dinner, however half a muffin would be plenty as they are quite filling. A full muffin after a meal will have your pyjamas pants even feeling tight. As a tea addict for me they are at their best enjoyed with a milky dandelion tea or a chai. Either way you choose to eat them I’m super confident you will enjoy these muffins. xx

hazelnut and quinoa crumble muffins

Print Recipe

serves

9-10 muffins

preparation time

15-20 minutes

cooking time

40 minutes

ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa flour
• 2/3 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon slippery elm or psyllium husks
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon five spice
• 1 cup quinoa flakes
• 1 cup plant based milk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 chia egg {1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp hot water + 5 minutes to soak}
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• // for the topping //
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons macadamia nut oil or melted coconut oil

method

Preheat your oven to 180c. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients including the chopped hazelnuts. In another bowl, mix together the milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, chia seed gel and vinegar.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add in the wet mixture, gently mixing to combine. Scoop the muffin mixture into paper-lined muffin tins.

In the empty wet mixture bowl combine all of the crumble ingredients. The mixture will be quite wet but this is fine. Ladle a good teaspoon or so over each muffin until the crumble mixture is all used up.

Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes, or till the crumble is sticky and golden and a skewer is inserted into the centre and comes out clean.

These muffins can be wrapped up and frozen as a snack on the go. I enjoy them as they are however you could slice them in half and spread on some creamy nut butter or cottage cheese.

nutritional information for hazelnut and quinoa crumble muffins

• The five spice, vanilla and maple combine wonderfully in these muffins to provided sweetness without the need of lots of sugars. This make them a great choice for a complex carbohydrate snack on the go.
• Flaxseed meal is a fabulous source of lignans associated with balancing oestrogen levels. Flaxseed meal is also a great insoluble and soluble fibre creating bulk to stools and helping keep the digestive system regular. The soluble fibre in flaxseed meal will help absorb cholesterol in the digestive tract therefore assisting in the reduction of cholesterol levels.
• Hazelnuts are loaded with vitamin E and a sound source of monounsaturated fats. This makes them a wise choice for lowering cholesterol and reducing LDL levels. Hazelnuts also provide a natural source of copper and manganese.
• You could substitute the hazelnuts for pecans or almonds. Use what you have in your cupboard and make this recipe your own!

Jessica Cox

Jessica Cox is a qualified practicing Nutritionist with a Bachelor Health Science (Nutrition) and over 15 years of clinical experience. She is the founder and director JCN Clinic, published author and established recipe developer. Jessica is well respected within health and wellness space for her no fad approach and use of evidence-based nutrition.