Raspberry + Vanilla Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast can be a tricky meal to keep interesting in our house thanks to always being in a rush and a fussy daughter who rejects my attempts at homemade porridge or scrambled eggs.  The usual options of buttered toast, plain bagels or Rice Krispies have been deemed 'boring' but I still want her to have a healthy start to the day (NOT chocolate croissants or Nutella toast as per her suggestions!)

These muffins are super healthy and filling with a secret protein rich ingredient, oats and only a small amount of sugar.  The recipe doesn't include eggs so can easily be made suitable for vegans.  I was expecting them to be a little dense as eggs are usually what give that fluffy muffiny texture but these were lovely and light thanks to that secret ingredient again......gram flour otherwise known as chickpea flour.  You wont find it in the baking aisle but it is stocked in the ethnic or special ingredients aisle in most large supermarkets.

Chickpeas in muffins sounds a bit gross but you honestly don't get any 'beany' taste from it at all.  It just gives a great lift to the batter, a lovely fluffy texture and also provides the protein hit that is often missing from breakfast muffins.  No 11am hunger pangs with these babies, the combination of gram flour and oats will keep you full right through til lunch!

1 cup oats

1/2 cup wholemeal flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup gram flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk / non dairy milk

1/2 cup melted butter (use margarine or oil for vegan option)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp vanilla extract (the kind with vanilla seeds if you can find it)

1 cup frozen raspberries

Makes 12 decent sized muffins

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.  Line a 12 hole muffin tin with large paper baking cases.

Mix together the oats, flours, sugar, baking powder and bicarb in a large bowl.

Whisk together the milk, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together lightly using a spatula.

Add the frozen raspberries and fold in very gently.  Don't over mix, the batter should be lumpy and slightly scary looking if you are used to beautiful smooth cake batter like I am!  Just trust it will all be okay once baked!

Scoop the batter into the cases and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until a skewer poked into the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

These muffins freeze beautifully, I popped all 12 into a large freezer bag and have been taking one out each night so it's defrosted by the morning.  They are also great to add to packed lunches!