Banana Muffins

What You Need:

• 3 brown ripe bananas
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash of salt
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• Additional ingredients such as rasins, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc. (optional)
• Muffin tin liners
• Muffin baking tray
• 2 mixing bowls
• Wooden spoon
• Potato masher

What You Do:

1. Start by pre-cooking the quinoa. Help your child fill a small saucepan with 2 cups water and add 1 cup dry quinoa. Once the water boils, the quinoa takes about 20 minutes to cook.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, have her line a muffin tray with muffin liners and pre-heat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
3. Once the quinoa is finished cooking, give it a gentle stir then set it aside to cool.
4. Next, help your child measure and combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in one mixing bowl.
5. In the other mixing bowl, combine the bananas, yogurt, vegetable oil, vanilla, and egg. Have her use the potato masher to mash up the ingredients and mix them into a batter.
6. Once the wet ingredients are mixed, add in 1 cup of the cooled quinoa, then slowly add in the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until everything is mixed together.
7. Brainstorm other ingredients that your child might enjoy adding to her muffins, such as raisins, nuts, dried fruit, or mini chocolate chips! She can add ¼ cup of her special ingredient to the mix and gently stir.
8. Next, help her put spoonfuls of the batter into the muffin-lined pan, filling about ¾ full, and bake for 12 minutes.
9. After 12 minutes are up, help her check the muffins by placing a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out dry, the muffins are ready. If it's sticky with dough, the muffins can cook up to an additional 5 minutes.

After they cool, settle down for a tasty snack, perfect for sharing with family and friends!