Mel's Kitchen: PF Espresso Muffin recipe

Athlete Support Specialist and our team's star baker, Mel, is using Precision Fuel & Hydration products to produce goodies that are both delicious and performance-boosting as part of a feature that we're calling Mel's Kitchen 😈.

We've asked Mel to share the recipe for her PF Espresso Muffins, which are the perfect pre-exercise food and include PF 30 Caffeine Gels as part of the recipe...

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to create 12 large muffins...

• 400g Plain / All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Cornstarch for dusting
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 3 tbsp Freeze-Dried Instant Coffee
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 100g Toasted Walnuts (or Pecans), Chopped (plus extra for sprinkling on top of the muffins before they bake)
• 50g Candied Orange Peel
• 100g Dried, Sweetened Cranberries (or other dried fruit)
• 6 x Medium overripe Bananas, peeled (obvs!)
• 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 4 x PF 30 Caffeine Gels
• 3 x Double Shot Espressos (~180ml)
• 20 drops Orange Essential Oil (or Orange Extract to taste….probably around 2 tsp)
• Plant Based Milk (depending on consistency)

For the drizzle (optional):

• 60g Icing (Powdered) Sugar
• 1 tsp Freeze-dried Coffee Powder
• 1-2 tbsp Plant-Based Milk

Method

And this is how we do it...

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C / 356°F (or 160°C / 320°F for fan-assisted ovens) and line a 12 large hole Muffin Pan with Muffin Cases.

Step 2: Blend or mash the bananas in a large bowl to a pulp.

Step 3: Add all the other wet ingredients to the bananas and give the mixture a good stir.

Step 4: Place the dried fruit and toasted walnuts (don’t forget to reserve a couple of tablespoons of the walnuts) to a separate bowl and give them a dusting of cornflour. This will help ensure that they don’t sink to the bottom of your muffins during baking.

Step 5: Place all of the dry ingredients, including the dried fruit & nuts, in another large bowl and give them a good stir.

Step 6: Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until everything is mixed in and there are no lumps of flour remaining.

Step 7: The batter should be fairly thick and lumpy but should fall off a spoon easily (half way between a pourable cake batter and cookie dough). If you think it looks too stiff, add a little plant based milk and stir until combined.

Step 8: Place 2 x level ice cream scoops of the muffin batter in each case, add a sprinkling of the toasted nuts, and place in the centre of the oven.

Step 9: Bake for 20-25 minutes in your pre-heated oven until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Step 10: Remove the muffins from the pan and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Step 11: Once cooled, drizzle the icing over the muffins and devour!

Nutritional Information

Please note all values are approximate and per muffin, not including the drizzle.

Energy: 317 kcal Fat: 6.2g Carbohydrate: 60g (Fibre 3.8g) Protein: 5.3g Salt: 0.3g/ 300mg (Sodium 0.12g/ 120mg) Caffeine: ~100mg*

*Varies markedly depending on the bean, the roast, the brewing method, the barista and a whole host of other variables. That’s why having a caffeine gel is more reliable option in terms of caffeine content!

Key features

• An ideal carb and caffeine-rich pre-exercise breakfast ... 😉
• Low in fat
• Suitable for Vegans
• High caffeine content (not recommended for children or pregnant women!)