I don’t know about you, but in our house, there are times when certain bodily functions just don’t flow smoothly, so to speak. Whether as fallout from chronic conditions…or consequences from meals the day before…or falling behind on water consumption…or travel…
You get the gist. It happens: sometimes sh*t doesn’t happen.
And you know what they say – when times get tough, make muffins. OK, maybe no one says that besides me. But I stand by my statement. Especially in this case.
It’s all about the fiber
Most of us in the US have diets woefully deficient in fiber (some estimates put this at 95% of our population falling far short in fiber consumption!) so it’s no wonder that constipation is so widespread.
In our house, we do enjoy a wide variety of fiber-filled (which mostly means plants) foods every day. Even so, we sometimes need a boost.
Enter the Make You Poo Muffin.
I’m all about food as medicine, so I like to choose foods that promote the effects I’m looking for. For this medicinal muffin, we are harnessing the power of fiber in psyllium husk powder. As an added bonus, psyllium husk powder does some good things to the texture of baked goods, especially gluten-free ones. Win-win!
Psyllium is a darling of gastroenterologists everywhere – whether they recommend it as a supplement or as a food – because it is a rich source of soluble fiber. Soluble means it dissolves in water. So when psyllium hits your gut, it dissolves in the water present and forms a gel-like consistency that helps to move things along and/or firm up loose stools. (It does a whole host of other awesome stuff for your gut and overall health, too. Read more https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-psyllium-89068)
For those of you playing along at home, you’ll note that the magic of psyllium fiber depends on WATER. So, please, please hydrate yourselves. All the time, and especially if you’re not having a good poop every day.
Now, if you count yourself among the number who eat very little fiber, take it slow as you introduce psyllium. Your little gut microbes will be in shock. They will eventually be very, VERY happy that you are feeding them what they need, but at first they won’t remember what to do with this. You will know this is the case if you experience bloating or burping or farting – or all of these – after consuming fiber. After you recondition your gut flora, they will thrive with this additional fiber. But that may be a slow process.
I should also note that some folks don’t tolerate psyllium husk fiber well, whether because of the psyllium phytate content, or any other individual metabolic difference some people have. (Just like with virtually anything.) So if this is new to you, again, go slowly and gauge your response.
It’s also all about the yum
We usually have some bananas in the fruit basket, and that means we often have some that are nearing, or at, that lovely mottled (or entirely) brown stage that puts them smack-dab in the middle of the ideal-for-baking zone.
Those very-ripe to over-ripe bananas are perfect for these muffins. They assist with texture, binding, and delicate sweetness. These muffins are actually a favorite in our house for taste as well as function!
This recipe is quick to mix up and get in the oven, and infinitely customizable with optional mix-ins. I left you some additional love notes at the end of the recipe with suggestions on substitutions, and some generally encouraging comments. Mwah.
Susan
p.s. I didn’t even try to pretty up this post. I mean, come on. The theme here is 💩.
Make You Poo Muffins
Ingredients
- 3-4 bananas, very ripe the more brown on the banana peel, the sweeter and softer they will be
- 2 eggs preferably from pasture-raised hens
- ½ cup olive oil
- 4 oz unsweetened organic applesauce this is one individual cup of the type sold in multi-packs
- 1/4 cup honey preferably local and raw
- 1/3 cup milk of choice (coconut, cashew, cow, etc. - depending on your dietary restrictions or preferences)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- ½ cup psyllium husk powder tested with Anthony's Organic Psyllium Husk Powder and Mercola Whole Husk Psyllium
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Optional additions
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup shredded or flaked coconut
- ½-1 cup chocolate chips if you want a little more sweetness!
- ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc) if you want a little crunch!
- ¼-½ cup brown sugar if you like a sweeter muffin!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 12-well muffin tin. I use olive oil.
- In a medium bowl, combine bananas, eggs, oil, applesauce, honey, milk, and vanilla. If you're using brown sugar, add it now. Mash until bananas are thoroughly smashed and the whole mixture is well combined.3-4 bananas, very ripe, 2 eggs, ½ cup olive oil, 4 oz unsweetened organic applesauce, 1/3 cup milk of choice (coconut, cashew, cow, etc. - depending on your dietary restrictions or preferences), 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste, ¼-½ cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey
- In a separate small bowl, combine the flour, psyllium husk powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and if you like, cinnamon. Whisk to fully incorporate the psyllium powder - otherwise it likes to clump up once it meets the wet ingredients.1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend, ½ cup psyllium husk powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until fully combined. The batter will be quite thick.
- Fold in any optional ingredients you choose.½ cup shredded or flaked coconut, ½-1 cup chocolate chips, ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc)
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. They will be approximately 3/4 full if you're using a standard size muffin tin. Smooth the tops if it will bother you to have them look "rustic" when they're done.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven. When done, they should be slightly browned on top, and they should spring back when touched lightly.
- Let cool in the muffin tins for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- You can grease the muffin tin with any oil of your choice: olive, avocado, coconut, butter, non-dairy butter, or ghee. These are all options to swap for the olive oil in the recipe, too.
- Don't stress if you have slightly more or less of any of the ingredients. This is not brain surgery, and no one will die. If you don't have enough of something wet, use a little less of something dry to balance it out. Will your results be exactly the same? No. Will they be close, and will they be edible? Probably so!
- I have substituted cassava flour for the GF all-purpose flour; the muffins worked, but they had that gooey, gummy texture that cassava flour often yields. My daughter is a big fan of that texture, but I'm not.
- I haven't tried regular wheat flour, but you likely could use it. Nor have I tried oat flour, but I bet it would work, and I bet tiger nut flour would, too (confusingly, tiger nut is not a nut. It's a tuber. I know. I didn't name the thing.) You know what flours probably won't work as a simple swap? That's right - "real" nut flours (like almond), and coconut flour. They just don't play the same way.
- I store these in the refrigerator because we prefer them cold, but they would be OK at room temperature for a couple of days. After that, most gluten-free baked goods start to lose points for moisture and texture. These would probably be the same, but to tell you the truth, we've always consumed them within 24 hours.