Tahini Happy Morning Muffins

(Note: this post was originally published on September 23, 2020. The date above reflects migration to the new platform.)

The Perfect Morning Treat

It's time to bring a big smile to your mornings! These Tahini Happy Morning Muffins are easy to make, filled with nourishing ingredients, and totally delicious. They're all your favorite muffin flavors combined into one!

Most importantly, I want to welcome you to Rogue Brussel Sprout Tahini Week 2020! Tahini Week kicked off on Instagram on Monday with a big giveaway, and will wrap up this Sunday with another new blog post. Please check out @TheRogueBrusselSprout on Instagram for a full week of tahini content (don't forget to look at my Stories too!) and to enter the giveaway.

And now, for some tahini baking. I wanted to start off Tahini Week with a baking recipe because I don't think most people use tahini in this way. Sure it's great in hummus or in a sauce... but it's just as wonderful (or even more wonderful!) in sweet applications. Tahini provides a decadent nutty flavor, richness, and fat, all of which your baked goods need. Using tahini allows you to omit any other added fats (e.g. oil), so it's really a win win.

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Tahini in Baking???

This is actually the third tahini baked goodie on this blog. Check out these super nostalgic Funfetti Tahini Chick Pea Blondies as well as this Blueberry Lemon Tahini Oat Flour Bundt Cake. I promise that once you start baking with tahini you'll wonder why you ever used oil.

However, there's one very important point to make. Not all tahini is created equal! The quality of your tahini matters for all your recipes, but I think it matters especially in baked goods. Some tahini can be gloppy, grainy, or bitter, none of which you want in your muffins. I recommend Seeds of Collaboration for baking. It has a delightfully delicate, nutty flavor and is wonderfully creamy.

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Discount Time!!

Seeds of Collaboration is also partnering with me to bring you Tahini Week 2020! So please get yourself a jar (or several....) and work your way through all three of these tahini dessert recipes, as well as all of my savory tahini recipes. It's the only way to properly celebrate Tahini Week! My friends at SoCo want to offer you a discount too- use the code ROGUE at check-out to save 20%.

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All the Muffin Flavors!

Ok, on to these muffins. I love a good muffin, especially one that's packed with nutritious ingredients. But sometimes I can't decide what kind I want to make. Carrot? Morning Glory? Banana? Blueberry? There are too many good options out there.

I've solved this problem for you by rolling all of these classic muffin flavors into one! These cuties, which I've called "Happy Morning" because they're sort of a Morning Glory muffin gone crazy, are the best of all worlds. There's banana, carrots, zucchini, AND blueberries, plus warming spices like cinnamon and cardamon. It sounds chaotic, but it actually really works.

Thanks to these diverse flavors, these muffins can really transcend seasons. The blueberry and zucchini make them feel summery, while the warming spices make them feel cozy and fall-appropropriate. Clearly that means you should be making them again and again, all year long!

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Nutritious AND Easy

Nutritionally speaking, these muffins are hard to beat. In addition to all the fruits and veggies, they're loaded with good fats thanks to the tahini. The tahini allows you to get away with using no oil. The only "flour" in these comes from oats, and they're sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup. They're also vegan, and get their loft from the reaction of apple cider vinegar and baking soda!

They're really easy to make too, because the entire batter is made in the blender! Just dump all the wet and dry ingredients in and give it a whirl. The only hands-on part is grating the zucchini and carrots.

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Storage Tips

These muffins make for easy, nutritious breakfasts and/or snacks all week long. After you bake them (and engulf a couple while they're still warm, let's be honest), make sure to cool them completely. Then transfer them to a tightly sealed container and keep them in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for a few weeks. When you're ready to eat, just warm one up in the microwave for about 15 seconds, or a bit longer if the muffin was frozen. They're especially divine with a big dollop of almond butter.

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Let's Talk Ingredients

Here's what you'll need for this recipe, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Banana. I expect applesauce would work too, although I haven't tried it. Maybe a quarter cup? Let me know if you try it out!
• Milk. Whatever you have on-hand is fine. I like to bake with unsweetened soy milk because of its richness.
  
• Tahini. I can't recommend Seeds of Collaboration highly enough. It's absolutely the best tahini out there for baking because of its sweet, nutty flavor. Remember to use the code ROGUE when you order to save 20%!
  
• Maple syrup. Honey would work fine too, although the flavor is more assertive and it's a bit sweeter, so I'd scale back to a scant 0.25 c.
• Apple cider vinegar. I promise this isn't as weird as it sounds! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to give these vegan muffins loft.
• Vanilla
  
• Old-fashioned rolled oats. Not steel-cut oats!! The latter is much harder and won't work well here.
• Cinnamon
  
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cardamon
  
• Zucchini. Grate it, then press it in a clean kitchen towel to remove the excess water. Squeezing out the water is key to making sure you don't have too much moisture in your muffins, which will give them a gummy texture.
  
• Carrot
• Blueberries. Either fresh or frozen is fine.
  
• Coarse sugar. For sprinkling the tops, optional but it makes them so pretty. Omit this if you want to avoid refined sugar entirely.

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Closing Thoughts

Now do you see why I've called these "Happy Morning" muffins?? Make a batch over the weekend and enjoy them all week for a quick breakfast or snack. There everything I love about muffins, all rolled into one.

And please remember to check out the full Tahini Week line-up on Instagram! I'll be giving away two (!!) sets of tahini from Seeds of Collaboration, so make sure to enter the giveaway. Or better yet, just go ahead and order some Seeds of Collaboration tahini now to make sure you get your hands on some!

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

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Suggested Pairings

Blackberry Limoncello Gin Smash

Strawberry Thyme Granola Parfait

Coconut MacNut Granola‍

Fruity Brunch Salad

Grilled Stone Fruit, Goat Cheese, and Pistachio Salad

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Disclosure: Seeds of Collaboration is a long-term partner. I receive free product from Seeds of Collaboration and take a small commission on sales using the discount code. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.