Don't tell mum and dad but I was a bit of an unconventional uni student. Apart from the few lecturers and tutors who I loved and sat there soaking up their every word like a sponge, I wasn't all that good at attending classes. It's not that I was a terrible wagger, blase and never learned anything, it was just that I like to learn in my own way and unless there's a really complex concept that needs an in-depth explanation, I find I often learn a lot more if I teach myself.
My default learning method is to dive right in and learn as I go. It's pretty much how I got started on Claire K Creations all those years ago - I'm a hands-on learner. I'm much better at getting stuck into things and researching as I go rather than learning everything there is to know about something first up.
That pretty much describes my adventures with coconut flour. Had I done some research before I started straying from tried and true recipes I would have learned that you need a lot more liquid and eggs with coconut flour than you do with regular flour. I wouldn't have wasted a batch of coconut bars had I taken the time.
But, I think that lesson is much more deeply etched into my brain when I can still taste the first and only bite of those bars that soaked up every ounce of liquid from my mouth as if I were eating a paper towel. It was with that image in my mind that I set out to make a dairy-free, gluten-free banana muffins healthy enough to have as an every day afternoon tea treat.
It wasn't until I was scooping the ANZAC topping onto my ANZAC banana muffins that I realised I'd made a totally gluten-free muffin and topped it with rolled oats. Blonde moment? If you want to make the topping gluten-free, I've read that quinoa flakes are a pretty close substitute for the oats (see learning as I go!).
As I was mixing up the wet ingredients I was thinking, there is no way that these are going to work, there's waay too much liquid but let me tell you, coconut flour is seriously thirsty. It slurped up the eggy liquid before my eyes.
You can see they're quite dense but they're also nice and light. I wouldn't liken them to a regular muffin in texture but flavour wise, you definitely wouldn't notice that there's no refined sugar in there. The sweetness of the bananas, boosted with a little honey and a hint of sweetness from the coconut milk is all you need. This recipe would also make a fabulous loaf, ready to slice up, give a golden dressing in the toaster and slather in butter. Ok so the butter sort of defeats the purpose of the dairy-free, healthy bit but how about a nut butter?
It actually doesn't need anything to finish it off, I'd be happy to savour it all on its own. Enjoy!
What about you? How do you like to learn? Are you a gather-all-the-info person or do you dive right in?
Recipe
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 ½ cups coconut flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 ½ tablespoon honey melted
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 2 ripe bananas crushed
Topping
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon rolled oats
- 2 tablespoon shredded coconut
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan-forced and line a 12 hole-muffin tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, sift the coconut flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and mix.
- In another bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs, olive oil, coconut milk and bananas.
- Make a well in the flour and carefully stir in the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Divide between the muffin liners.
- To make the topping, melt the honey and coconut oil together.
- Combine the oats and coconut in a bowl and pour over the honey oil and stir.
- Divide the topping between the muffins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Carmen says
Hello Claire. Could coconut oil also be used in the muffin instead of the olive oil?
Claire says
Hi Carmen. I don't see why not.
The Life of Clare says
I giggled when I read that you'd put throats on a GF muffin! My learning varies on the situation. Sometimes I'll jump right in, but more often than not I'll research a bt of info first.
Kathy says
Thanks for the delicious looking recipe which I am going to make; coconut flour provides a lot of roughage too. I also use gluten free oats which allows me to continue eating those.
I have a quick question - where do you get your muffin papers or cups? I've never seen any like those and if you have a link somewhere I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Claire says
Hi Kathy. Yes it's full of good stuff isn't it?! Mine were a gift but they have quite a few on eBay. If you search for muffin cups http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/50pcs-Spots-Cake-Baking-Paper-Cup-Cupcake-Muffin-Cases-Liners-Wedding-Home-Party-/380551387479?pt=AU_WeddingSupplies&hash=item589aa15957&_uhb=1#ht_3144wt_927
Hotly Spiced says
Well...you somehow made it through uni anyway! These little cupcakes look gorgeous and full of goodness xx
Claire says
I'm a very good teacher Charlie what can I say? :-)
Jo Smith says
I like the texture of these. Toasted with lots of butter definitely sounds the way to go. There's always exercise....
Claire says
That's true Jo.
Charlotte Moore says
I have GF oats made by Bob's Red Mill. The first time I used coconut four I was shocked by all the eggs. I went right by the recipe though and the texture is so different from anything I had ever used. It is almost like eating air. It just melts in your mouth.
Claire says
You're right Charlotte it's much lighter isn't it?
Charlotte Moore says
I made this muffins this morning. I was concerned with that much coconut flour and so few eggs. Wellll, mine was so thick I could hardly stir it. So knowing most recipe call for a very small amount of flour and lots of eggs I added another egg and more milk. It was still thicker than usual. I ended up with 24 muffins but smalller than yours. They taste ok, but not like the other things I gave made with the coconut flour. I made some pancakes tonight that had 3 eggs and only 3T plus 1 tsp.of flour and bananas. We did not care for them though. My husband said they were way too soft.
Charlotte Moore says
OOPS!!! These muffins!!!
Claire says
Hmm that's odd that it didn't work for you Charlotte. Could it have been that your eggs were really small? That's all I can think of?
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
I saw some coconut flour the other day. Good to know that it is really thirsty. I had no idea! :D
Claire says
Learn from my mistake Lorraine!
JJ - 84thand3rd says
Love love love the sound of this recipe and that you used coconut milk. Coconut flour is a tricky one, but I was amazed too as it soaked up all the liquid before my eyes.
So, oats are an interesting one, they do not actually contain gluten (well not the kind that gluten intolerant people, even celiacs, have issue with) but most oats are contaminated by cross processing with wheat - so if someone finds gluten-free oats these are gluten-free ;D
I'm off to search my kitchen so see if I have the ingredients for these, I want muffins!
Claire says
Ahh very interesting thank you JJ. I heard from a coeliac friend that he can't eat oats so I always assumed they had gluten. I'll keep an eye out for gluten-free oats!
Glad you liked the muffins!