Food: Porridge Muffins

Sound crap, taste great

Porridge muffins are awesome little snacks, and the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up when you're feeling a bit of a sugar low.  They're gluten, dairy and refined-sugar free, so you can feel good about yourself whilst enjoying them and it means you can even give them to your little one if they're on solids too!  And whilst we're covering several bases with this wondercake, they also mean you won't get that awful sugar crash afterwards and you won't feel the need to have several when you only need one (I'm looking at you, chocolate digestives)...

I came across the idea on Livia's Kitchen who has several other wondeful snack ideas too, but naturally I like my own versions the best :-)

Apple and Courgette Porridge Muffins

  • 3 cups porridge oats (non-jumbo give the best cakey texture)
  • 1 cup grated cougette
  • 1/2 cup sultanas or raisins
  • 2 cups apple puree
  • almond milk or cows milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 tsp ground cinammon
  1. preheat oven to 180 degrees C;
  2. dump all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix;
  3. add apple puree and vanilla essence and mix;
  4. depending on consistency add almond or cows milk until the mixture reaches a thick gloopy stage, usually about 1 cup;
  5. oil a muffin tin (the mixture's too wet to use muffin cases) and dollop the mixture into each hole.  You should fill about 12;
  6. bake for 25-30 minutes;
  7. stick a skewer or knife in the middle to check they're done - they'll still be a bit moist but firm to the touch when they're ready, when cooling they'll firm up further.
Porridge muffins...yum

Porridge muffins...yum

Enjoy with a delicious tea - this one's a yummy herbal chai

Enjoy with a delicious tea - this one's a yummy herbal chai

Chocolate, Date and Coconut Porridge Muffins

  • 3 cups porridge oats
  • 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1 cup whole de-stoned dates (the juicy, jammy ones are the best as they're sweeter)
  • 1/4 cup agave syrup or honey (optional - use if your dates are drier and less sweet)
  • 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
  • 1-2 cups coconut milk (the drinking kind, not the tinned kind)
  • vanilla essence
  • hazelnuts to decorate
  1. soak dates if they are drier variety for 20-30mins in hot water;
  2. preheat oven to 180 degrees C;
  3. whizz dates in a food processor (with a little of the water if they've been soaking);
  4. add dry ingredients to a big mixing bowl;
  5. mix in wet ingredients, starting with dates, vanilla essence and gradually adding coconut milk until the mixture reaches a gloopy consistency;
  6. oil a muffin tin (the mixture's too wet to use muffin cases) and dollop the mixture into each hole.  You should fill about 12;
  7. bake for 25-30 minutes, removing the trays half way through to place some hazelnuts on top if you'd like (if you do this at the beginning they'll burn and be bitter);
  8. stick a skewer or knife in the middle to check they're done - they'll still be a bit moist but firm to the touch when they're ready, when cooling they'll firm up further.
 

Let's get cooking!

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