Marvelous Mango Muffins
Alisa Fleming ~ Forget those tired banana muffins; jazz up your spring brunch table with some mango! Mangoes begin populating grocery stores in March, in preparation for those juicy summer and fall months. Since we aren’t into the full blown heat of summer yet, I cranked up the oven and made these wholesome and tasty mango muffins.
On Eggs: I seldom bake with eggs, and all of my testers (aka wonderful neighbors) liked this egg-free version. Nonetheless, I have received emails from people who just don’t like muffins without eggs. If you prefer to use eggs when baking, simply add 1 or 2 beaten eggs to this recipe with the wet ingredients – no other adjustments required. The eggs offer lift, moisture, and firmness all in one package, so you don’t need to adjust the flour or liquids. Since you will be adding volume, the mango muffins will come out bigger.
On Gluten-Free: I haven’t tried these mango muffins gluten-free as of yet, but if you were to experiment, I would add the 1 to 2 eggs mentioned above, and my first trial would probably be with oat flour (ground oats), or with 1-1/4 cups brown rice or white rice flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour, or with your favorite gluten-free flour mix / blend. With eggs, it may be okay without any added gums. That all said, here’s the muffin recipe how we liked it …
Thanks to the light drizzle of honey after baking, these muffins get away with less overall sugars than your average breakfast cake. Make sure your mangoes are very ripe for the sweetest flavor. The outside should give to your touch, and the inside flesh should be a rich orange hue.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or all-purpose flour, or half all-purpose flour / half regular whole wheat flour)
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg, or Cardamom, optional
- 1-1/2 Cups Very Ripe Mango Puree*
- 1/2 Cup Honey, plus 1 Tablespoon for drizzling
- 1/4 Cup Grapeseed Oil, Melted Coconut Oil, or your favorite Neutral-Tasting Baking Oil (I used grapeseed)
- 1-1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Diced Mango (I diced it small, about the size of raisins)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Prepare 12 muffin cups (I use silicone, and they work best without greasing)
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spice (if using) in a medium-sized bowl.
- Blend the mango puree, honey, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl (if using the “milk” or egg options below, then add them now).
- Fold the dry ingredients to the wet, along with the diced mango, and stir with a spoon just until combined.
- Some lumps are okay. You don’t want to overmix or the muffins will be dense.
- Bake the muffins for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they begin to brown slightly, pull away from the sides, and a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean.
- Drizzle the muffin tops with the tablespoon of honey.
- Let the muffins cool for 15 minutes in the cups
- Remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Quick Notes: I used about two large mangoes for the puree, with enough left over for the diced mango below. To puree, I simply place the peeled ripe mango in my personal-sized blender and whiz away.
Variations:
Extra-Moist: Add 1/4 Cup Unsweetened, Plain, or Vanilla Milk Alternative (your favorite type) with the wet ingredients. I prefer without (they rise and hold shape better), but two of my tasters liked the “extra moist” batch best.
Vegan: Sub regular Agave Nectar or Honey-flavored Agave Nectar for the Honey.
Other Fruit: Feel free to sub the mango puree with papaya puree or even banana puree. With banana, I’d probably up the cinnamon.
Tropical Flair: Use coconut oil for the oil, and add ½ cup unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut. You could also toss in some chopped macadamias if desired.
This recipe is Vegan, Reduced fat, Whole Grain, Refined Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free.
Tagged egg--free, low fat, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian
