Want to freak out the kids? Make these green muffins TODAY.
A few weeks ago I was mindlessly browsing Pinterest when the culinary stars aligned. I noticed the browning bananas looking quite sad in the dining room within minutes of stumbling across a simple blender-based gluten-free flourless banana muffin recipe from Amanda at Running With Spoons. Pow!
So, guess what I did? Made muffins! Never mind it was already past my bedtime.
After the muffins came out of the oven, I let them cool and put them in a plastic storage tub with wax paper between the layers. By morning, the tops of the muffins had turned GREEN. Well, it was sort of a pretty teal blue-green, definitely not a natural color.
What?? Did leprechauns put a magic spell over my muffins? And was it OK that I ate some anyway?
I turned to Master Google to figure out why my muffins changed color overnight. I wasn’t convinced that mold could grow that fast and that evenly. After a little searching, apparently two of my ingredients created a chemical reaction that turned the sweets into St. Patrick’s Day treats! Interesting!
In a nutshell (er, banana skin), apparently when baking soda and sunflower seed butter combine, magical things happen to baked goods.
Here are a few posts online that explain it further:
Daily Bites: Crazy Food Questions…Answered!
Smithsonian: What Are Those Green Specks in My Biscuits?
The Kitchn: Why Did My Bread with Flax and Sunflower Seeds Turn Green?
So, if you want to mess with the kids for St. Patrick’s Day, or really any day of the year, whip up this recipe in the evening using sunflower seed butter for the nut butter. Then, surprise the kids in the morning with a plate of colorful muffins!
I think I’m going to use this green trick to make some sort of cool bread for the holidays. What do you think?
Until next time,
Choose healthy!
Angela
PS: Visit me on Facebook at Cupcakes and Yoga Pants!
Note: This post was updated on July 31, 2018.
