Apple Raisin Oatmeal Gluten Free Muffins, for Vata, Pitta Kapha Doshas  

Betty Brown, Ayurvedic Practitioner

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Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour*

1 cup gluten free oatmeal*

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients (bring all ingredients to room temperature):

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup oat milk or other plant based milk

2-3 oz of pure maple syrup

1/4 cup melted ghee

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups peeled, and finely chopped apples

Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12 count muffin tin + 6 count muffin tin with paper liners* and set aside. This recipe makes about 18 muffins.
  • In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and then set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs for 2 minutes
  • Then add in oat milk and whisk, then melted ghee, pure maple syrup and pure vanilla extract. Whisk all ingredients thoroughly. 
  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Fold in the raisins and chopped apples, then divide evenly between the 18 muffin cups.
  • Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
  • Enjoy!
Notes:

*Products I recommend:

  • King Arthur Gluten Free Flour 1:1 Substitute
  • Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Oats ( oats are naturally gluten free however many are processed in plants that process wheat and easily cross contaminated)
  • If You Care Muffin Paper Liners

Dosha Considerations:

This recipe is good for Vata dosha due to it’s sweet, warming and nourishing ingredients.  Pitta dosha may enjoy these muffins as well.  Kapha dosha should eat these muffins in moderation due to it’s sweet qualities. 

Vata and Kapha Dosha Modifications:

  • may add warming and sweet spices: 1/8 tsp more cinnamon, 1/8 tsp all spice

Apples and Ayurveda

Cooked apples can increase the bioavailability of pectin (1) (feeds good gut bacteria) and quercetin(2) and is easier to digest. 

Calming Pitta Dosha: Raw apples have a slightly acidic nature, which may aggravate Pitta dosha in sensitive individuals. Cooking apples can help reduce the acidic nature and provide a cooling effect, thus pacifying Pitta dosha.

Supporting Agni – Digestive Fire: People with weak digestion or weak agni, cooking apples breaks down fibers that are hard to digest.  Ayurveda notes that cooked apples soothe for an imbalanced digestive fire (agni).

Spices and Ayurveda (3)

  • Cinnamon: Taste (rasa) is sweet, pungent, astringent; energy (virya)(4) is hot; post-digestive effect (vipaka) is sweet, nourishing. Carminative, stimulates digestion, antispasmodic, aromatic, circulatory stimulant, astringent, expectorant, diaphoretic. Balances Vata and Kapha, increases Pitta dosha. 
  • Cardamon: Taste (rasa) is sweet, pungent; energy (virya) is cooling; post-digestive effect (vipaka) sweet, nourishing. Carminative, stimulates digestion, expectorant, diaphoretic, aromatic, antinausea.  Balances Vata, Kapha and Pitta doshas.  May increase Pitta dosha when used in excess.

(1) https://healthpath.com/gut-health/stewed-apples-gut-health/

(2) https://www.ejmoams.com/ejmoams-articles/effect-of-cooking-on-the-bioavailability-of-quercetin-from-apple-skin-102133.html

(3) Pole, S. (2013). Ayurvedic medicine: The principles of traditional practice. Singing Dragon. 

(4) https://www.practo.com/healthfeed/importance-of-heating-and-cooling-effects-of-food-40493/post

#Apples # Oatmeal #glutenfree #raisins #vatapittakapha #ayurvediccooking #healthycooking