Jump to Recipe

Well, isn’t that a mouthful of a title for these muffins? Well let me tell you, a mouthful of these muffins will do you good. Why? Because they are packed with so much good stuff!

I mean obviously, you can’t do your body wrong with spinach, banana, or carrot – those are three super nutritious whole foods right there. I know, I know, spinach shouldn’t be in a muffin! BUT, stick with me here. The carrot and banana mellow everything out, so I promise, there is no overpowering spinach taste! And if the thought is just too much to handle, I have an easy swap you can make for the spinach (but seriously, you should just try the spinach).

The other reason I love these muffins is because they are made with garbanzo bean flour. You know, chickpeas! This is a new flour for me. I typically use almond, coconut, and buckwheat flours, but I wanted to branch out and try something new in my gluten-free, grain-free baking.

Here’s the thing about gluten free flours. Most of them typically are NOT good for you. Why? Because their glycemic index tends to be really, really high. The glycemic index measures the rise of your blood glucose levels about two hours after eating a particular food. It is determined by both how much and what type of carbohydrate it contains, but also things like the fat and protein content, and how it’s cooked.

Ok, so what’s that really mean? In a nutshell, it means that high GI foods will send your blood sugar through the roof! And THAT means an energy crash after eating and more sugar than your body can handle at once, which leads to weight gain. Ain’t no one got time for that!

Garbanzo flour has great plant-based protein and fiber, is high in calcium and magnesium, and has a medium glycemic index. In this recipe I combine it with coconut flour, which is also high in fiber and also has a good amount of healthy fat. It has a low glycemic index. These two flours make for a dense and filling muffin that won’t spike your blood sugar like recipes using rice flour or arrowroot/tapioca starch, which are two very common gluten free flours used for baking.

I like to use my Cuisinart food processor for this recipe, and it makes it come together very quickly. I start by combining the spinach, carrots, banana, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. I like to get all of the spinach and carrots blended very well, so there aren’t any chunks in the muffins.

Once that is blended together, simply add in the remaining ingredients. If your food processor is too full, you may need to do this in batches. Scrape down the sides a couple times to make sure everything is fully incorporated. The mixture should be thick with no standing liquid.

Now you’re ready to fill your muffin cups! I always spray my liners with non-stick spray just to help them come off a bit easier. Fill the cups to the top, as these won’t rise very much. Bake until the tops are browning a bit and a toothpick comes out clean.

Ok, I promised a swap. Still not sold on the spinach? You can also use grated zucchini. Keep in mind, it has a much higher water content, so you may want to start out by omitting the milk and only add it if the mixture is too dry.

I love eating these muffins in a bowl with a little salt and almond butter. This gives it a little sweet/salty combination that is oh-so-good! And combined with a good cup of coffee, it can’t be beat! Enjoy!