I admit, I often fall into the Cliff bar, Kind bar, Lara bar trap/addiction. I’ve been trying to get to the gym most mornings before hitting the office and it’s so easy to grab a bar loaded with sugar to take on the go. Now, I’ve made my own bars before, so I know it’s possible. But there’s just something about the efficiency of a pre-wrapped pre-made bar that is so appealing when it’s barely light out and you’re trekking out into the world. So recently I’ve been trying something else – homemade muffins. I can control what exactly goes into them, how much sugar, etc. and I’m set for the entire week. One batch is enough for both me and R to get some sustenance in before  a workout.

I’ve been playing around with different ingredients, different flavors, and this one is one that really deserves a blog post.I wanted something that tasted delicious but was also low-sugar, high protein, and packed with fresh fruit. Inspired by the rhubarb I’ve been seeing at the farmer’s market, and further inspired by my strawberry rhubarb coconut crisp pie, I ended up with these strawberry rhubarb muffins.

Since I impulse purchased a package of chickpea flour when I was making fritters a couple weeks back, I have been loving it. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get on the bandwagon actually. The flour is the same consistency as “regular” flour but packs a lot more protein and is gluten-free. I used mostly chickpea flour and added a small amount of tapioca flour for a lighter mixture of flour, but still keeping the muffin gluten-free. To get some added healthy stuff in there I also tossed in ground flax seeds. A bit of a warning – flax in the batter tastes pretty awful. But then when you bake it all that bitterness goes away. So if you’re like me, and like to taste-test batter, do not be afraid if it doesn’t wow you. Wait for the baked version!

I wasn’t sure how the rhubarb was going to do baked into a muffin, but it held up well and didn’t become overly gooey. It also maintained it’s great tart flavor and mixed in with the sweet strawberries it was a perfect way to wake up in the morning. I loved how packed with fruit these muffins were, but that they still remained cohesive and didn’t fall apart. It took me a couple tries to get the ingredients just right, but I think in the end we ended up with a winner.

You could bake these with or without baking paper cups – I liked them because it made the muffins much more portable. If you choose not to use them, simply spray a touch of oil into the muffin tins before baking and they’ll pop right out.

All in all, these are becoming a staple around this apartment. I’ve been whipping up a batch on Sundays and then eating them throughout the week. And stay tuned…I’ve also come up with a really delicious blueberry version that’s even more packed with healthy goodies. I dare say…I think my store-bought bar days might be behind us?!