Banana Hemp Protein Muffins ready to Enjoy

Banana Hemp Protein Muffins to the Rescue for Breakfast

When I discovered the nutrition in hemp seeds and hemp protein in 2008, figuring out how to start eating it was a bit of a mind thumper. I had purchased a package of hemp protein powder at a small festival. The nutrition caught my eye. I was sold! My family needed to eat this stuff, but I had to figure out how I was going to accomplish this. Banana hemp protein muffins to the rescue.

At that time, our family was a multi-generational household. My granddaughter was about 5. We would start our day together. I was the early riser, so getting her ready to catch the school bus became our routine and special time together. She wasn’t much of a breakfast eater. A big challenge for me. How could a grandma let her precious babe head out the door without eating?

Making These Banana Hemp Protein Muffins Became a Hit!

That was the inspiration for my first recipe using hemp protein powder and hemp hearts. I reworked a family favorite banana bread recipe. Baking the batter into small mini muffins became a hit. Now I could send Ms P out the door with a few protein packed, healthy muffins that she could easily eat at snack time during school.

After baking up a batch of the Banana Hemp Protein Muffins…

I’d freeze them to keep them fresh tasting. I would take a few mini muffins out of the freezer during our morning routine and place them in Ms P’s back pack. Freezing them also helped to keep them intact. By snack time they had thawed and tasted fresh.

I prefer using the hemp protein powder verses hemp flour for this recipe because I want the higher protein content. Hemp flour can be substituted. Using hemp hearts verses salted or salt free whole hemp seeds is a matter of your texture preference. The whole hemp seeds will provide a nice crunch to the muffins.

Making this recipe of hemp protein banana muffins gluten free is a snap. Substitute the unbleached flour that is called for with gluten free baking flour.

Banana Hemp Protein Muffins

A Better Option Foods recipe inspired by a granddaugher.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 53 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, coffee break, Dessert, healthy snack

Cuisine American

Equipment

• 1 4-qt large mixing bowl
• 1 medium bowl for mashing the bananas
• muffin tins (or, 2 loaf baking pans if you prefer making as banana bread)
• parchment paper cupcake liners

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 lg egg
• 1/2 cup softened butter 1 stick of 8 tbsp
• 4 mashed ripe banana
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk *(see recipe note below) whole cultured buttermilk best
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup hemp hearts or whole toasted hemp seeds optional - whole hemp seeds give a nice crunch to the muffins,
• 1 cup hemp protein powder Better Option Foods brand
• 1 cup unbleached flour GF flour can be substituted

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325
• Prepare muffin tin: Decide on the size of the muffins you want to bake. I like making mini-muffins and prefer using cupcake liners verses greasing or spraying the muffin tins. Place paper cupcake liners in muffin tin; or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  
• Assemble needed ingredients on kitchen counter
  
• In a separate bowl, peel & smash bananas with a fork, set aside until ready to add to baking mixture
  
• In large mixing bowl add:

  sugar, egg, soft butter, mashed bananas, baking soda, buttermilk, salt, vanilla, chopped walnuts, hemp seeds, hemp protein powder, & unbleached flour

  Stir together by hand with a spatula.
  
• Mixture is lumpy, but well blended
  
• Drop batter into muffin cups about 2/3 to 3/4 full. You can fill to the top if your prefer jumbo muffins. You'll have to slightly increase the bake time.
  
• Baking time will depend on the size muffins you are making or if you're making this recipe into banana bread

  For mini muffins (less than 2" cups) - 25 to 30 minutes

  For larger muffins (about 3" cups) - 40 to 45 minutes

  For banana bread, makes 2 loaves - bake for 55 minutes

  These muffins freeze well too. Enjoy!
  

Notes

If you're wondering what to do with the rest of the *buttermilk after making these delicious hemp protein muffins; drink it! It's really good for you and has a lot of nutritional benefits. Personally I like it. You may have to acquire a taste for it, but once you see all the goodness it holds, you may be sold.

Buttermilk is kind of like yogurt, but different. Both are cultured dairy products made by fermenting milk. Buttermilk has a slightly sour, tangy flavor. The consistency is thicker than regular milk, but not as thick as yogurt. Buttermilk is rich in probiotics, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals.

Gut health and bone density are among a the benefits of drinking buttermilk. It aids your digestive system with probiotics. The beneficial bacteria, which helps to maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms in your digestive tract that promote smoother digestion.

For bone health, buttermilk is rich in calcium and phosphorus, needed minerals for maintaining strong bones and teeth. It also has vitamins like B12 and riboflavin, which support strong bones and muscle function. These nutrients may reduce the risk of osteoporosis (a reduction in bone density) and dental issues.

Get more detailed information about buttermilk from this article, the power of buttermilk.

Add buttermilk to your diet along with Better Option Foods  hemp hearts.

You can also use buttermilk for making our Hemp Protein Pancakes & Waffle Mix. They're the best pancakes you'll ever eat.

It's all about...  Eat Better. Feel Better. You're worth it!

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