Spring is in the air. Seattle’s quintessential cherry blossoms fill the streets with their lush scents as flocks of young people lounge on grassy knolls to soak up fleeting rays of sun. This time of year signifies a lot of things for me. The beginnings of summer plans and the putting away of old winter coats. The bounty of produce that slowly peppers the stalls of the farmer’s market as winter slinks away. Singing birds in the morning and a twilight sun that lingers into evening. Yet one thing that has begun to crop up every spring, one thing that I never gave much mind to before yet now can’t seem to ignore, is juicing.
Everyone seems to be doing it. Suddenly this hulking paragon of an appliance has found it’s home in all of my friend’s kitchens. I see people walking around the farmer’s market with juice, drinking juice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, talking about their latest juice cleanse. Now, don’t get me wrong; I love juice. I’ve participated in my fair share of juice cleanses and various juice related recipes. However, anyone who has made homemade juice knows the one caveat to the fruity nectar that we all apparently crave come springtime: it’s messy. It’s really messy. Juicing is sticky and pulpy and my god, the pulp. You have so much juice pulp for just one glass of juice, does anyone really know what to do with it all? You can only make so many soups and smoothies (but really who am I kidding, you can never make too many soups or smoothies). So that’s where I come in. I offer you a recipe to help you make a dent in that ever growing pile of juice pulp living in your freezer. I offer you a protein packed, veggie filled, lip smacking chocolatey mound of muffin to enjoy each morning.
Now, a word of warning before you get started. These muffins are dense. Super delicious and wildly satisfying, but the juice pulp really weighs them down. If you’re looking for a light muffin you can simply not add the pulp and you will have just that. Personally, I like putting veggies in everything!
Chocolatey Juice Pulp Moringa Muffins
Recipe by Livvy Greenfield
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
1 cup juice pulp, I use a mix of carrot, beet, and kale, but honestly anything will be awesome
1/2 oil of choice
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp moringa
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract, or another tsp of vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp flax seeds
1 tsp chia seeds
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup carob powder, or cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional or not optional, you decide)
Directions
Muffins are one of those things that really should be a regular part of everyone’s life, but for some reason aren’t. At least, not in mine. I really should change that. They’re easy to whip up, require very little clean up, provide breakfast all week, and can be made to be really healthy!
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 F, and either lining or greasing a muffin tin. In a big bowl mash the bananas with a fork. I like leaving pea sized chunks of banana in tact, as I think it makes for a fun texture after they’re baked. You can also mush them to hell and back too. It’s really up to your discretion. Gently fold in the oil, extracts, juice pulp and sugar. You can also sub the sugar for honey or agave nectar if you’re looking for a healthier alternative, or you can cut the sugar in half and double the spices. You can also use a full cup of sugar and by golly I promise you won’t regret it.
In a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients, then gently fold into the wet until combined. Scoop into your well greased muffin tin and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until an inserted tooth pick comes out dry.
Cool for ten minutes, and enjoy! Since they’re such dense muffins they keep for at least a week. You can also freeze them and keep for guests at a later date.
You can find many more yummy moringa recipes on our blog!
About the Author
Born and raised in Oakland, California, Olivia Greenfield spent her childhood cooking traditional Jewish recipes with her mothers. As a teen she discovered the Bay Area restaurant scene and began building an interest in locally sourced, seasonal fare. Amidst this blossoming love of a shared table, she decided to go vegan and soon taught herself how to cook healthy meals on the cheap side. As she began to get more active in her school’s environmental club, her initial curiosity into the food world eventually transformed into a full blown obsession.
Not wanting to leave her beloved west coast behind, she traveled north to attend The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Her thirst for knowledge of all food systems brought her to study traditional food culture in France, where she completed a field research study in Norman cheeses, worked on a porc noir farm, prepared three course dinners for a yoga retreat center, and cooked with locals as she toured the Spanish coasts. Olivia is now putting her BA/BS degree in Food Science and Policy on hold to live and work in Seattle. She still bakes bread in her spare time. For more articles by Olivia, click here!
