Almond Quinoa Muffins with Cherries, Apircots and Pistachios

Bring almond milk and vanilla extract to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add quinoa, stir and cover. Turn the heat to low and cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, about 25 minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, heat oven to 450ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, toss together the apricots, cherries and 1/2 tablespoon of honey, reserving the rest for laterl. Spread out onto the pan and bake until the fruit release all their juices and they begin to lightly brown, about 13–15 minutes.

Once quinoa is cooked, transfer it to a medium bowl. Stir in the cardamom and a pinch of salt and then refrigerate until it cools down a little bit.

Reduce oven temperature to 425ºF and generously (these muffins can stick!) spray a 12-cavity muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large, microwave safe bowl, melt almond butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of honey and the fresh ginger. Finally, stir in the slightly cooled quinoa and mix until well combined.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites. Pour into quinoa mixture and stir until well combined. The mixture will be a little bit soupy.

Divide quinoa mixture between 11 of the muffin cavities, filling only halfway. Then, evenly divide both the apricots and cherries between each cavity (see note). Sprinkle the tops with the minced pistachios.

Bake until the muffins have risen and the tops are set, about 12–13 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a sharp knife, immediately remove them from the muffin tin and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Drizzle with extra almond butter, if desired, and devour.

Note: You probably could mix the roasted fruit into the batter, but I like to make sure all the muffins get a nice, even amount of fruit!