Why is that miniature things are almost always cute and adorable?

Exhibit A:

Mini bananas. The perfect one-biter.

Or how about…

Exhibit B:

Mini muffins. Also the perfect one-biter.

Strawberry Pineapple Coconut (mini) muffins. 

Mini muffins, so poppable. (Is that a word? Does it matter?) And lovable. And adorable.

Remember those mini muffins back in elementary school that were the size of golf balls and you can’t help but have more than one? These are like those but packed with ingredients that won’t leave you with a sugar high.

I picked up an abundance of beautiful strawberries this weekend at the Farmer’s Market so I paired them with Pineapple Elli Quark and shredded coconut to give a tropical summer twist. You can also add in fresh pineapple as well. These muffins are flour-less since they use a base of chickpeas – I promise you cannot taste them! Chickpeas, do however, add in fiber and gives the nice dense texture in the muffins we love.

The addition of the nut butter and Elli Quark bumps up the protein, naturally. The use of quark in these muffins pumps up the protein content and flavors of these little guys with no added sugars or use of protein powders. While I do utilize protein powders in baking sometimes, it doesn’t always work out (flavor) wise. I made it sugar-less by using stevia – but feel free to experiment with your sweetener of choice. The result is an adorable mini muffin that is perfectly crunchy on the outside, and soft and dense on the inside. So poppable. Bonus: my house still smells soooo good. And so will yours!

 Strawberry Pineapple Coconut (Flour-less) Mini Muffins

(24 mini muffins or 12 regular sized muffins)

1 container Pineapple flavored Elli Quark (or any pineapple flavored greek yogurt)
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup almond or peanut butter (I used Nuttzo peanut-free 7 seed & nut butter)
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup egg whites + 1 egg
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1.5 cups fresh strawberries, diced
1 tbsp vanilla extract
8-9 packs stevia, or until preferred taste
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Add all ingredients into a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth.
3. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray (I like Trader Joe’s coconut oil spray)
4. Scoop a generous 1 tbsp amount of batter into muffin pan.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Allow for muffins to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing and let cool completely before serving.

Stores on the fridge for 4-5 days or pop em in the freezer and heat up when you get a muffin craving!

Nutrition Facts:
Regular Size:
Calories: 142
Carbs: 13
Protein: 7
Fats: 8
Sugar: 2

Mini Muffins:
Calories: 71
Carbs: 7
Protein: 3
Fats: 4
Sugar: 1

And this is what happens when you have extra batter muffin left over. A single serve treat! (Trader Joe’s peanut butter chips (swoon!) added)