Oats – A Gluten-Free Alternative to Wheat
More and more people are developing an intolerance to wheat and/or gluten. If this is the case, consider using oats as an alternative in your baking or morning cereal routine. Oats are high in soluble fibre, especially beta-glucan. Research has shown that beta-glucan has cholesterol-lowering effects. It can be effective at stabilizing blood sugar levels thereby reducing the risks of diabetes & cardiovascular disease, obesity & metabolic syndrome.
The least processed the oats, the more fibre you will get. Instead of quick oats (porridge), experiment with whole oats, steel-cut oats, or even oat groats. One cup of whole oats will provide 16.5 g of fibre. Oats are also a great source of many essential vitamins and minerals.
In this recipe, we use oat flour which is obtained by grinding or blending the oats at high-speed. You can also purchase oat flour in natural health food stores.
Click banana-blueberry-oats-muffins for the printable version of this recipe.
Makes 12 muffins
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
What you need:
- 2 cups oats
- 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
What you do:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with paper or silicone cups.
- Using a high-speed blender, grind the oats until you get a flour consistency.
- In a medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (oat flour, flaxseed, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda & salt). Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix together the wet ingredients (mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, cider vinegar, ghee).
- Fold in the blueberries. Spoon into the prepared cups. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
Nutrient Information per muffin:
Fat 6g Carbs 21g Fibre 2g Sugar 7g Protein 3g
Culinary Tips:
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can try a coffee grinder or food processor. You can also purchase oat flour in most health food stores.
- You can replace the blueberries with other berries.
