Kombucha Muffins
Oh, kombucha. Yogis and millennials love this fermented bev for its effervescent bite and supposed health benefits. However, many health claims about kombucha are suspect at best, and some people have even suffered at the hands of home-brewed kombucha gone wild.
If you're not familiar, the 'booch is a fermented tea drink made with the help of a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, or SCOBY. This SCOBY (aka "kombucha mother") is a rubbery, mushroom-like mass that sits on top of brewing kombucha. The mother is home to tons of healthy bacteria and also helps keep bad bacteria out of the brew.
Science aside, kombucha is dang yummy and dang refreshing. When I saw this recipe for kombucha muffins in Jerrelle Guy's book Black Girl Baking, I knew I needed to make it. And the recipe did not disappoint. Jerrelle is really a master of her craft and these muffins prove it. They're lightly sweet, a little wheaty, a little tangy, and make the perfect breakfast, snack or treat. Slap on a pat of butter and you're good to go.
Let me know how you like the recipe in the comments and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Ingredients
3 cups white whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, or neutral oil
3/4 cup honey
1 16-ounce bottle plain kombucha
Steps
Preheat oven to 425 F and grease a 12-muffin tin. (Hot tip: these muffins will explode over the edges a bit, so be sure to oil the rim around the outside of the wells too.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Then, pour in the melted butter, honey and kombucha in that order. If you let the kombucha sit for too long it will lose its fizz, so try to work quickly. Stir together dry and wet ingredients until just incorporated.
Separate mixture evenly between the 12 muffin wells. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 F, and then turn the oven down to 375 F. (The dual temps help the muffins get a more domed top.) Bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until the muffins pass the toothpick test. Nosh.
Sustainability Tips
Flour: King Arthur is my absolute favorite brand of flour because they are a B Corp, which means they need to meet super strict environmental and social standards.
Butter: Dairy is generally pretty terrible for the environment so be sure to buy butter from a brand you trust. I like to buy my dairy from B Corps because they are held to high environmental and social standards.
Honey: Local honey is p dang easy to find if you look for it. Buying local means that fewer greenhouse gas emissions will be released during travel AND you can ask the beekeeper how they treat their bees and get to know your local food producers.