Boccoli Muffins with Brown Rice – Gluten Free +9M

Savory muffins can be a fun way to offer vegetables to picky eaters. They have a fun and “safe” shape that the kids will like, they are easy to handle…and they taste good!

Today I replaced the flour with brown rice, to give more texture, add creaminess and also offer a gluten free option.

I added broccoli as they are my kids’ favorite vegetables and they are in season right now, but feel free to substitute them with any other seasonal vegetable of your choice: zucchini, spinach, kale, carrots, sweet peas are just some ideas.

The rice muffins are a great idea for breakfast or brunch, for the lunchbox, for a party or for a picnic.

Picky Eaters tip: if you think your kids might complain about the pieces of broccoli inside the muffins…puree’ them 🙂 Instead of chopping the broccoli, place them in a food processor and blend up until obtaining a breadcrumb consistency. Than add them to the mix. You will obtain a more uniform mix and the green broccoli will not pop up at first sight once your kid will bite the muffins!!

The recipe is very simple.

Start cooking the brown rice. I usually rinse it under running water and than add it into a pot filled with water. The suggested proportions are usually 1:2, so 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. 

Bring to boil, reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook following the cooking time suggested on the packaging (usually around 35 min). Let the rice cool down completely.

For this recipe you will only need 1 cup of cooked rice, so you have two options: you only cook 1/2 cup of rice in 1 cup of water or, as I like to do, cook the usual 1 cup of rice and use the leftover cooked rice as a side for another recipe. In my house cooked rice is always welcome 🙂

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare the muffin tin greasing it with some extra virgin olive oil and almond meal. One drop of oil and 1/4 tsp almond meal for each hole.

In a bowl combine all the ingredients starting from the cooked rice + broccoli florets chopped in tiny pieces + egg + yogurt + cheese + garlic + salt.

I used plain greek yogurt for a creamier result. For the cheese I had some sharp cheddar cheese in the fridge so I used it, but you can substitute with any cheese with a sharp flavor. Fontina, Asiago, Machego, Gouda will all work.

For a more uniform texture you can place everything in a food processor and pulse for 30 sec up until obtaining a smooth cream.

Fill the muffin tin with the mix and bake for 15/20 min. Let the cool down 5 min and enjoy!!

You can freeze the muffins for up to three months or store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.