Quinoa in muffins? OH YES! Quinoa adds not just nutrition, but bulk, texture, and moisture to baked goods! These hearty quinoa muffins are bursting with juicy cranberries and refreshing citrus flavor. Perfect for breakfast or snack!
Stir the quinoa and water together in a small saucepan and place it over high heat.
Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed.
Allow the pot to sit, covered, for five minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the quinoa with a fork, and allow it to cool a bit.
Preheat oven to 350° and line a 16 cup muffin tin with papers.
Stir the cranberries and sugar together in a small bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 cup of your cooked quinoa (you'll probably have a bit leftover), with the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cloves.
In a separate bowl, stir together the orange juice, oil, vanilla and orange zest. Mix until just blended.
Fold in the cranberries
Distribute the batter among the prepared muffin tins and top each muffin with 1-2 pecan halves, if using.
Remove the muffin tin(s) from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.