Muffins- these small baked delicacies are easy to make with mouthwatering flavors. Now, you've probably already eaten the traditional fruit muffins that use the whole fruit or fruit juice.
Have you ever thought about using the pulp you generally throw away after juicing? It can make equally delicious fruit muffins with zero-waste. Here's a recipe that'll have you questioning why you ever threw out all that richness of the pulp.
Fruit Pulp- What Is It?
The fruit pulp is the fruit most of us throw away after extracting the juice. The fleshy content of the fruit consists of the membranous layer. Fruit pulp covers the fruit as an exterior layer after the peel.
Industrially, the fruit pulp is used for many purposes, one of them as an additive included in food and dairy products. Consider fruit jellies, jams, ice creams, flavored yogurts, etc.; all these contain processed fruit pulp.
Of course, the difference is that these products have processed fruit pulp in them, while the fruit pulp you obtain after juicing is in its naturally nutritious form.
Why Should You Use Fruit Pulp?
Vitamins and minerals are essential components of the daily diet. Moreover, you can find lots of these if you add fruits and vegetables to your meals, ensuring a nutritional balance. Many don't know this, but the pulp consists of the most nutritious fruit. When you're discarding the pulp, you're throwing away all the fruit's nutritional components.
Pulp provides about 95% of the fiber in fresh fruits and up to half of the nutrients. Consuming fruit pulp, and not the juice only, minimizes the onset of many diseases from Type 2 diabetes and obesity to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Today, only 1 in 10 Americans consume the adequate per day requirement of fruits, vegetables, and fiber.
One of the fruits that contain the highest amounts of vitamin C, alongside calcium and zinc, is guava. Hence, eating guava benefits include enhanced learning abilities and stress relief. Moreover, guava can also boost the immune system.
On the other hand, Mango has vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, and potassium. Studies have found that consuming mango pulp decreases the risk of heart failure and normal aging.
Passion fruit is the fruit with the most potassium and vitamin A content. Eating its pulp improves eyesight. One of the most nutritious fruits in vitamins and calcium is soursop. It contains vitamin A, vitamin C, and Complex B vitamins. Adding this pulp to your everyday diet helps alleviate hypertension, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, liver failure, and osteoporosis.
Is Pulp Gluten-Free?
Naturally, all fruits and vegetables are gluten-free. As a result, the pulp inside them is also gluten-free. However, small amounts of gluten particles may be present in processed fruit pulps that come in frozen forms.
If you're extremely strict about your gluten-free diet, only use the pulp of freshly available fruits. But, what if you desperately want orange pulp during the winter months? You can use frozen fruit pulp available at grocery stores in that situation. When in doubt, confirm with the manufacturer on the preparation of the product in a gluten-free facility.
Are These Muffins Healthy?
Yes, yes, and yes! Again, since we're using fruit pulp in the recipe, which is highly nutritious, it makes these muffins incredibly healthy. Not only will you be gaining nutrients, but none of the fruit will have to go waste either.
Similarly, the recipe also uses honey instead of conventional sugar, making it another healthy choice. The point is, avoid sugar where you can and choose healthier alternatives. You'll be enjoying the deliciousness of a dessert while keeping your health in check.
Which Fruit Pulp to Use in the Recipe?
Fruit pulp muffins don't limit your options. Instead, you have endless choices for the fruit pulp you use to bake these muffins. You can make apple muffins using only apple pulp. Maybe a citrus-flavored muffin batch with oranges?
Berry pulp muffins are another popular craze, and they should be considering the exotic taste they bring to the recipe. For all the adventurous bakers out there, experiment with combinations of different fruit pulps in the muffins.
You'll eventually find a favorite fruit combination for these muffins to bake again and again. Additionally, if you already have a classic muffin recipe you like, add 1/2-1 cup of fruit pulp to it.
What if You Don't Have Fresh Fruit Pulp?
Don't worry if you don't have fresh fruit in your kitchen for the pulp, and you can't run to the store either. A benefit of fruit pulp muffins is that you don't need to start juicing fruits there and then to get the pulp. Extract the pulp whenever you juice your fruits and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or the freezer (for longer duration).
Another idea is to buy frozen fruit pulp; you won't have a problem finding these either since they're widely available. The frozen pulp will change the muffins' taste since nothing compares to fresh produce.
Can You Store Pulp Muffins?
Are you planning to eat the batch of muffins over the next few days? Store them in an airtight container after baking and keep them in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, if you want them to last a couple of weeks or months, place them in the freezer.
Ideally, store them in the freezer right after taking them out from the oven to retain the moisture. When you're ready to eat one, defrost it overnight or heat it in the microwave for a few minutes.
Can You Bake These Muffins on a Vegan Diet?
Even on a vegan diet, these muffins can be your companion in the days the dessert cravings kick in. Switch the egg in the coconut oil recipe- the best replacement for eggs in baked items.
One tip is to melt the coconut oil before adding it to the batter. Another alternative for eggs is flaxseeds. For this, add one tablespoon of flaxseeds to three tablespoons of water. Let the solution sit for 5 minutes before mixing it in the batter.
Add the Pulp Last
A general tip for baking muffins is to add the ingredients for flavor in the end. In this case, mix the rest of the batter ingredients before adding the fruit pulp. Using this technique will ensure you don't overwork the batter and that the pulp is the star of the show.
Another option for extra flavor to the muffins is adding a handful of chopped fruits. You can also use whipped cream or cream cheese and diced fruit toppings on these muffins.
Final Words
Now that you have the recipe in your hands- stop waiting and start baking! There are so many recipes you can try with fruit pulp, but muffins make it to the top of the list. Devour these muffins in breakfast, lunch, or even after dinner.
Gluten-Free Pulp Muffin Recipe
Servings- 12 muffins
Prep Time- 10 minutes
Cooking Time- 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour
- 1 cup pulp (leftover after juicing)
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease a muffin pan.
- Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt to a medium-sized bowl. Mix the ingredients well.
- In another bowl, add honey and eggs. Whisk them together. Combine these ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. Next, add the pulp and mix once more.
- Next, pour the batter into the muffin pan and bake for 20-30 minutes. Poke the muffin center with a toothpick or fork, when it comes out clean, your muffins are ready.
- Cool your muffins on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Gluten-Free Pulp Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free Flour
- 1 Cup Juice Pulp From Juicing
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease a muffin pan.
- Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt to a medium-sized bowl. Mix the ingredients well.
- In another bowl, add honey and eggs. Whisk them together. Combine these ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix.
- Next, add the pulp and mix once more.
- Next, pour the batter into the muffin pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.
- Poke the muffin center with a toothpick or fork, when it comes out clean, your muffins are ready.
- Cool your muffins on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Gluten-Free Recipe Board!!
Recipe for Gluten-Free Pulp Muffins
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