Chia Fresca Muffins: Lime Poppy Seed and Chia

This is modern take on the old classic, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins; these have a bit more of a bite because we used limes instead, and chia brings a host of good omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Let's be honest, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins need a renaissance.

Besides, what are poppy seeds for besides getting stuck in your teeth?

Chia Fresca is a popular drink in South America; it is simply water, chia, lime or lemon juice, and honey or sometimes agave syrup. This is all covered in our earlier article, Chia is the New Flaxseed. I thought that since poppy and chia seeds are nearly indistinguishable from each other, let's incorporate them into the same recipe.

When you mix chia seeds with water, after about 20 minutes they form a gel. If you've made a chia Pet, this is what you spread on the 'pet' part. Chia is popular to bake with because many people find they can substitute up to half the fat or oil in a recipe with chia gel.

In this recipe, I kept all the butter. They're muffins after all.

This recipe is an adaptation of the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, brought to us by way of both Sea Salt with Food and Brown Eyed Baker.

Chia Fresca Muffins

Wet ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 stick of melted butter
2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
1 tablespoon of chia
3 tablespoons of water

Dry ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Glaze:

Juice of one lime
Enough powdered sugar to form a honey-like consistency, about 1/2-3/4 cup

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the tablespoon of chia with the 3 tablespoons of water, stir well and allow to sit for 20 minutes. This will form a thick gel.

Butter or spray your muffin pan. Once the chia has formed its gel, combine all the wet ingredients in one bowl. Combine all the dry in another.

Fold the dry into the wet using as little work as needed. Do not overwork the dough.

Fill your muffin pan and bake for 20-30 minutes. They are done when a toothpick or chopstick inserted comes out clean.

Glaze the muffins while they are still hot out of the oven.

Makes 12 muffins.

Chia Fresca Muffins: Lime, Poppy Seed, and Chia