Dishing Up the Dirt

Buckwheat, Amaranth & Yogurt Muffins

I’ve come to the recent realization that most muffins I consume are basically unfrosted cupcakes. Delicious none the less, but not necessary the best option for an energizing breakfast. Now that I’m baking for my little one-year-old, I’m really trying to be mindful of ingredients and sugar. And even though a lot of the baked goods I make utilize natural sweeteners like honey or pure maple syrup, I think I could really dial back the amount. Even with natural sweeteners blood sugar can elevate and I just want to be aware of that a bit more while cooking and baking for my little one.  These muffins in particular have some really yummy flavors going on from the grains–buckwheat, amaranth and some freshly milled hard-white wheat berries. I love that the flavor of the grains really shine and aren’t masked by too much sweetness. The addition of some local blueberries from last season really ties this together. Side note- I recently bough a small kitchen grain mill and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! I’ll talk more about the newest addition to our kitchen in an upcoming post. It’s awesome and the best purchase I’ve made in a while. But of course, you don’t need to use freshly milled grains for these muffins. They’ll still be great either way!

Anyhow, I guess the intention behind these muffins is to really get back to basics and appreciate the comfort of a homemade treat without loading it up with sugar. And I think I nailed it with these muffins. They’re not very sweet but with the addition of warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and a dash of pure vanilla they really hit the spot. I also soak the grains overnight in the yogurt to help make them easier to digest (this method is from Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions)and the texture ends up being really lovely. I hope you and your little ones enjoy these as much as we do. These muffins taste great all week long lightly re-heated in the oven and topped with a pat of butter and a dash of cinnamon.

Happy baking mamas and papas and everyone in-between.

 

Buckwheat, Amaranth & Yogurt Muffins

Prep Time: overnight    Cook Time: 20 minutes    Serves: 12 muffins

  • 3/4 cup freshly milled white-wheat berries (See note)
  • 3/4 cup freshly milled buckwheat flour
  • 1/2 cup freshly milled amaranth flour
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup  + 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/3 cup melted butter or olive oil
  • 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) tossed with 1 teaspoon flour

Preparation

  1. The evening before baking, mix your flours with the yogurt and place in a warm spot in your kitchen. Cover with a towel.
  2. The next morning preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin and set it aside.
  3. Add the baking soda, salt, and spices to the bowl with the dough. Add the vanilla, maple syrup, eggs, and melted butter. Fold in the blueberries until just combined.
  4. Fill the muffin tins and bake in the oven until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a muffin. About 25 minutes. Start checking the muffins around the 22 minute mark. Cooking times will vary depending on your oven.

Notes

You can replace the freshly milled hard white wheat berries with whole wheat or all purpose flour.


Leave a Reply

6 thoughts on “Buckwheat, Amaranth & Yogurt Muffins

  1. Peter Dowd says:

    I only see step 1 here. Also, should I substitute AP flour for the wheat berries if I don’t have a mill?

    1. Andrea says:

      Sorry about that! It’s updated. And yes. All purpose is just fine. See the recipe notes. Happy baking!

  2. Peter Dowd says:

    Got around to making these this morning. They are excellent. When you look at the mix of flours and yogurt after the overnight “soaking,” you’ll be tempted to say – that will never make muffins. But then you add all the liquid and it comes together. I couldn’t find amaranth flour — the best substitute appeared to be sorghum flour. I think this resulted in a darker muffin than in the picture. I’d hold back some of the berries and push them into the tops of the muffins to improve appearance.

    1. Andrea says:

      I’m so happy you made these!! And I’m glad the sorghum flour worked well for you!

  3. Jane says:

    They came out great. I did not freshly mill the flour but see that I could have. With 3/4 cup of fine ground buckwheat flour, I used 3/4 of oat flour. 1/4 cup of quinoa flour (using up the last in the bag) and 1/4 of almond flour. I topped each muffin with a single blueberry and in the last few minutes brushed the top with melted butter and maple syrup to give it a sweet glaze. Pretty and yummy.

    1. Andrea says:

      Sounds divine!! So happy you enjoyed these!

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