Low-Fat Sugar-Free Sesame Banana Muffins / Sesame Banana Bread

I baked up an adapted version of the Sesame Banana Mini-Muffins my parents ate while staying at Poetry Ridge Bed and Breakfast in Greenfield, MA. They came back from their stay with the recipe, written in pencil on an index card. The muffins had apparently been made by the proprietors for another guest, who had multiple food allergies. They both raved about them, so I told them I'd give the recipe a shot despite my skepticism.

The original recipe called for Splenda. Those of you who've been reading this blog for a while know that I don't usually go for artificial sweeteners. Don't kid yourself into thinking that Splenda is any more natural than any other artificial sweetener - It's not. But since I wanted to duplicate the recipe my parents had eaten as closely as possible, I decided to give Splenda a shot. The verdict? The muffins were good, and the loaf was even better, but I won't be baking with Splenda again. Unlike some people, I can detect quite an unpleasant aftertaste. I'll stick to agave nectar and its ilk - Natural sweeteners that are not sugar-free but are lower-glycemic than cane sugar and not over-processed. However, no one else who ate them complained about the Splenda taste so I think I must just have freakish taste buds.

The sesame seeds in this recipe give a delightfully unusual texture to what would otherwise be banana bread (or banana muffins). I used untoasted sesame seeds - But I have called for toasted sesame seeds in the recipe since I believe that lightly toasted sesame seeds would improve the flavor and texture. For the gluten-free flour the recipe calls for, any mix that contains xanthan or guar gum will work, such as Pamela's Ultimate Pancake & Baking Mix or Bob's Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit & Baking Mix or my cake flour mix recipe.

These muffins have a wonderfully moist texture - Yet they are also low-fat in addition to being sugar-free, which make them a good option for people who are on restricted diets. The quinoa flakes also increase the protein content quite a bit. You can easily replace the sour cream with Tofutti soy sour cream and the milk with soy or rice milk if you'd like to make these muffins dairy-free / pareve. They taste great at room temperature for several days, too. I poured the batter in both a silicone mini-muffin pan and a standard-sized tin bread pan. I enjoyed the cuteness and convenience factor of the mini-muffins, but the loaf took a slight lead when it came to taste and texture. This recipe makes enough batter to fill one mini-muffin pan and one bread pan, so you don't have to choose between the two!

LOW-FAT SUGAR-FREE SESAME BANANA MUFFINS / SESAME BANANA BREAD

[ Gluten-Free / Nut-Free / Soy-Free or Dairy-Free / Milchig or Pareve]

3/4 cups low-fat sour cream or Tofutti soy sour cream
1/2 cup Splenda
2 egg whites
2 bananas, thoroughly mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes Hot Cereal
1 cup gluten-free flour mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg)
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup low-fat milk or soy / rice milk

Cream Splenda and sour cream with electric hand-mixer. Mix in egg whites, bananas, vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together flour, quinoa flakes, sesame seeds, baking soda and salt. Add to batter and mix well. Pour into greased mini-muffin tins, filling each cup to the top, and/or pour into well-greased bread pan, filling to 1 inch below top. Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes and bake loaf for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Muffins

Let it go on the record that I am not a big fan of pumpkin. I am one of those freaks who doesn't even like pumpkin pie. Until last year the only way I enjoyed everyone's favorite fall vegetable was in Thai curries. Then I tried making pumpkin bread, and the result was a moist, spicy cake that tasted nothing like pumpkin but quite a lot like heaven. At that moment, I was converted from an unbashed pumpkin hater to an ambivalent, tentative pumpkin eater. In honor of the season, and as an experiment in preparation for Thanksgiving (which will be my first opportunity to wow my family with my gluten-free creations), I made some GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free) pumpkin muffins the other day. This recipe is designed with holiday feasts in mind, as it makes a big batch of two-dozen muffins. I warmed them in the toaster this morning for breakfast and before I knew it I had eaten three!

Pumpkin Muffins

2 1/2 cups of my Gluten-Free Flour Mix
3/4 cup coconut flour
2 cups pumpkin puree, or one 15 ounce can (unseasoned)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sugar (I prefer Sucanat)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup water or milk
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice mix
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, then fold into dry mixture. Whisk all ingredients until combined and smooth.

Place muffin liners into two 12-muffin pans, and spray the insides of the papers with baking spray. Distribute batter evenly between muffin liners (approximately 1/4 cup each). Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 24 muffins.

Gluten-Free Cake Flour Mix

This is the flour mix I've been using lately. It's cheaper than a pre-made mix if you buy the ingredients in bulk. Substitute it cup-for-cup for regular flour in most cake and muffin recipes. No need to add additional guar gum or xanthan gum to the recipe you make, as it's included in the correct proportions.

Gluten-Free Cake Flour Mix

3 cups brown rice flour (fine ground)
1 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 1/4 teaspoons guar gum

Sift ingredients together, combining thoroughly. Use in place of flour in cakes and other baked goods. Store in airtight container or ziploc bag in refrigerator.

More muffins.

Mmmm...muffins! This is a photograph of my attempt at Brendon's Raspberry Double-Coconut Muffins.

A coconut flour experiment: Coconut Blueberry Muffins

This was my first time using coconut flour, and the result was a rich, sweet muffin that is completely grain-free as well as dairy-free and, obviously, gluten-free. They are quick to make and stay remarkably moist even when stored for a few days. Coconut flour absorbs a huge amount of liquid, so very little flour is necessary. The eggs act as a binder and leavening agent and the muffins need very little honey in order to be quite sweet. I used the coconut flour from Bob's Red Mill, which I found at Piedmont Grocery. These are definitely muffins for coconut lovers only!

Coconut Blueberry Muffins

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut flour
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons canola oil (or melted butter)
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Whisk eggs, butter, coconut milk, honey, salt and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Sift all coconut flour (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons). Stir sifted coconut flour and baking powder into the batter and stir until there are no lumps. Fold in frozen blueberries, stirring gently. Pour batter into greased muffin tin. Bake at 400 F for 15-18 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.