Pumpkin Quinoa Energy Bites

I may or may not have recently purchased the ONE THING that my little kitchen has been without for too long: a mini muffin pan.  Yes, I know I’m late to the game and yes, I know I’ve been missing out.  I just couldn’t justify the $10 purchase when I needed so many more important things like nail polish, chocolate chips or a billionth pair of running shorts.  Clearly I have my priorities in order.

 

It’s kind of like the fact that I have asked for a pair of cowboy boots for my birthday the past 5 years, and then took the money and bought something else completely random with it.  Not to mention I then wished all year long that I had a cute pair of cowboy boots.  I think this little habit of mine may be driving Nate nuts, but I can’t be sure.  The good news is that this year I knocked both the mini muffin pan AND the cowboy boots off the list.  My stomach has never been so happy and my feet have never been so sore…

As soon as I got the muffin pan the first thing I wanted to make was some kind of energy cookie/muffin with some great quinoa I had in the pantry.  Maybe we should call these “mookies” or “cuffins”!  Or, you know, maybe not.  I have to admit I’m a little out of my element this morning after several gross bug run-ins this morning and the fact that one of the dogs got, um, SICK on the floor and I didn’t before my bare feet did.  Ugh.  But I suppose this whole stay-at-home mom thing has to have SOME slight downsides, right?

 

The best part though was watching Wes laugh at my reaction to the dog thing – he’s all boy, laughing at gross stuff already!

 

Enough of that though – these little bites are SERIOUSLY addictive.  I would highly suggest toasting your quinoa a little bit in some butter before cooking it to get rid of the earthy flavor (if you don’t like it) of the quinoa, but you certainly don’t have to.  You can also mix up the mix-ins and make them your own.  Don’t like dried cranberries and walnuts?  I bet they’d be fabulous with dried cherries, almonds, and OHOHOH chocolate chips!  Or dried mango and macadamia nuts.  The options are endless – make them yours!

PUMPKIN QUINOA ENERGY BITES

Makes 36 bites in a mini muffin pan

• 1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 375.  In a bowl mix together the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla.  Fold in the the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.  Then fold in the quinoa, oats, cranberries and walnuts.  Spoon into a nonstick mini muffin pan and bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  I stored some in the freezer (they’re great if you set them in the fridge to thaw overnight, then pop them in the oven at 350 to warm up for about 10 minutes), and I stored some in the fridge.  Delicious!