Hi friends!! Happy Friday 
What are you up to this weekend?
The past couple of days, I’ve been experimenting with the quinoa flakes:
If you pick some of these up, don’t even try eating it cooked plain with a dash of sea salt.
Its 100% gaggable.
The quinoa flakes are much more edible with some blueberries, cacao powder, protein, and decaf espresso powder
but still not fab.
Quinoa flakes are like a mushy, tasteless version of cream of wheat. If you compare them to oats, they hide away in the corner and cry.
In baked goodie form, however….
Cinnamon Quinoa Muffin Tops
Adapted from my brain
Gluten-free, vegan, foodgasmic
-1 flax egg (1 T ground flax dissolved in 3 T almond milk)
-2 T cashew butter (almond would be lovely too)
-1/4 C maple syrup (can sub agave if you wish)
-1 t vanilla
-1/2 C quinoa flakes
-1/2 C quinoa flour (or flour of choice)
-1/2 t baking powder
-1/2 t cinnamon
-1/4 t baking soda
-pinch of sea salt
-Optional: chocolate chips, chopped apples, chopped nuts, dried fruit
1. Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a mixing bowl, combine the flax egg, cashew butter, maple syrup and vanilla until well-blended.
2. In separate bowl, using a fork as a whisk, combine the quinoa flakes, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. If you’re using mix-ins add the dry mix-ins with the dry ingredients (like chopped nuts or chocolate chips) and the wet ingredients to the cashew butter/syrup mixture (like chopped apples or fruit)
3. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in batches to the wet mixture. Avoid over-mixing.
Take a photo
4. Using a melon ball scooper, scoop the mixture onto the cookie sheet, evenly spaced apart.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 350. Leave on the baking sheet for 1 additional minute and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
6. Enjoy topped with a smear of almond butter, a drizzle of melted butter or solo
©2010
AMAZING. Light, fluffy, not too sweet.
I’m very glad I made those after teaching last night, especially since dinner ended up being a fail.
It was my first time steaming fish and for the record, 20 minutes is too long :/ It was like a large, chewy, white eraser.
I washed it down with two muffin tops
(For the record, I LOATHE the phrase “muffin top” unless it’s being used for baked goods. Don’t ever say you have a muffin top… unless it’s the kind I can eat. I will come through the screen and ninja kick you, mmm k?)
Well I’m off to make some b-fast and then get ready for work.
Hope you have a fabulous Friday! See ya later today with my spring shopping list
xoxo,
Gina
Something to think:
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” -Confucius
Hi, I'm Gina. Welcome to The Fitnessista! I love blogging about my adventures as a new mom, military wife and fitness instructor, as well as sharing new workouts and recipes. Check out the About page for more info - thanks for stopping by!
I saw those flakes the other day and had no clue what I could do with them. Thanks for some inspiration. Could you come and ninja kick my muffin top off? That would be awesome.
I think those roses shown at the bottom of the page just made my day!
Out of the blue y husband started calling me his “muffin top” recently, like “how’s my muffin top?” and “what is my muffin top up to?” I had to break the news to him that this wasn’t the most flattering nickname…he had no idea that is what a lot of women use to describe the extra fluff around the mid section–Ha!
wow, i’ve never seen a muffin top look so good! and since i’m trying out the gluten free thing, looks like this recipe’s going to the top of my “to bake” list. gracias amiga
I saw that steamed fish and thought you had a big bar of soap on your dinner plate! But thanks for the melon ball scooper tip, that will help keep my hands clean next time we make amazeballs!
yup, i use it for amazeballz too!
I’ve never worked with quinoa flakes, but the muffins look great. Thanks for the recipe! Sorry about the dinner flop.
I think those muffin tops would be perfect with a big spoon full of Justins maple almond butter plopped between two of them! mmmm
Thats funny I said the mt phrase today, but now that I’ve been warned I’ll never say it again.
I was actually teased a lot in school and called that everyday. T-T But the edible kind will always be delicious :d
I’ve never tried quinoa flakes, but I”m pretty sure I’d love those muffin tops!
Ha! I actually laughed out loud at the line about quinoa hiding in the corner and crying. I’m going to have to try quinoa flake muffins…thanks for the recipe!
Hello Gina,
Love your blog! Your quinoa recipe for muffin tops totally inspired me. (Which is weird because I am the worlds worst cook AND I hate baking). However, you may be interested to know that I substituted your quinoa flakes and quinoa flour with buckwheat flakes and buckwheat flour and the muffin tops turned out absolutely FABULOUS. I have to admit I was amazed because all my baking fails miserably! But I also have a quick favour – I just mentioned the recipe (and obviously cited you as the author of said recipe) on my blog. Is that ok? Please let me know if you object and I’ll sort it out. I wanted to put my own version on my blog but felt it was only right to mention that the original recipe was yours!
Anyway, its a really good one so thank you!!
Jess xx
no that’s perfect! so glad you liked them
That’s the best looking muffin top I’ve ever laid eyes one! Gorgeous roses too!
Just wondering if you can double the Muffin Top recipe and make actual muffins?
i dont see why not! let me know how they turn out
What is the difference between quinoa and quinoa flakes? I think I’m lucky to find quinoa around here!
they’re the same thing, but flakes are blended so they cook up more like oatmeal
Hmmm~would regular quiona work? I have a ton here~LOL!
you can vitamix the quinoa into flakes, i think??
so i made these today… but didn’t make them as muffin tops.. i actually made them as small as the melon ball scoop, and they are like little mini cookies… perfect for my 4 year old and for me to feel like i got to eat more than 1 cookie
thank you!
so excited to find your site! i had to start eating gluten-free earlier this year (diagnosed with celiac
) and it’s great to find more recipe ideas, especially for breakfast. congrats to you and the pilot on your little nuegette! i’ve probably spent more time than necessary catching up, but it was fun to get a peek into what i can expect in a couple years.
thank you, beth! welcome to the little blog
Hey! Just happened upon your site today. I am also gluten free and recently starting to eat clean due to CFS. I was wondering based on this recipe could you turn them into a savory “roll” alternative, cheese, green onion, zucchini, pepper add ins and what not? Or does the flavor of the Quinoa flakes/flour inhibit that? I’m trying to up my intake of veggies and I’m getting sick of salads!
Love your blog! What is a flax egg? My 22 month DD is allergoc to flax and nuts so could I just use a real egg?
it’s 1 T flax dissolved in 2-3 T water or milk
an egg or two egg whites will work just as well
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