Mallari, far left, with her Health & Wellness Committee
As a dental student and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast, I grapple face-to-face with new techniques, drills and people. The plethora of information thrown at me can seem overwhelming. But performing in these situations becomes second nature with enough repetition and practice. Both disciplines helped me become more intuitive of my surroundings and the people with whom I interact on a daily basis.
During the second semester of my first year, my classmates and I realized that the pace of school was picking up. There was even less time to eat and sleep, let alone meal prep or exercise. Dental school was a constant gas pedal and I saw how drained other students got as each week passed. That was when my Health & Wellness Committee put together a breakfast event. I brainstormed recipes that were a quick, simple and a healthier alternative to what we, as machines with no time, would normally scarf down in a hot minute. Someone suggested that I just make muffins and call it a day. I shook my head because to me, muffins are basically cake for breakfast. But since I do indeed love muffins, I decided to find a way to make myself feel less guilty.
The ‘buffin’ is a protein-packed muffin made with coconut flour and almond flour. This substitution reduces the sugar and increases the fiber, giving our guilty breakfast cakes a low glycemic index and easier digestibility. My co-chair and I made these the night before class, frosted them in the morning and showed up a little before the 8 a.m. lectures to hand out the treats. Please note: while this is a gluten-free recipe, it’s definitely not for people with nut allergies.
By now I know you’re dying to see the ultimate breakfast meal prep cheat. Here’s the recipe:
Buffins
Prep: 15 minutes (It took me 45 minutes because this was literally my first time baking.)
Cooking: 20 – 25 minutes
Makes: 16 muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 4 eggs
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup protein powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 large ripe bananas
For the frosting:
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, at room temp (not melted)
• 1/2 cup roasted and unsalted almond butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
3. Place the coconut oil, eggs, honey, vanilla and apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl stir together the coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Pour into the wet ingredients and beat again on high.
5. In another bowl mash the bananas together with the protein powder and water. Combine with the other ingredients and beat on medium until well combined.
6. Bake for approximately 20 – 25 minutes. You can check by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. When it comes out clean, they’re ready.
7. Prepare the frosting by combining all ingredients in a food processor and blending until smooth. If the frosting is a little runny, put it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
8. Once the muffins have cooled completely, you can frost them.
ASDA’s Wellness Month is generously supported by ADA student members insurance plans underwritten by Great-West Financial.
~Danica Mallari, Case Western ’20
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