Preparing for a Stress-Free Flight with Homemade Snacks
Last week, I made these little muffins when I should have been packing for a big family vacation. I knew we had an early morning flight, and the idea of relying on a snack-size pack of nuts and a drink from the beverage cart makes this already nervous flier even more uncomfortable. Since I can’t control much up there in that flying metal tube in the sky, I try to control one small part of the journey—a good meal on the plane.
Why Bring Your Own Snacks for Travel?
My family always makes fun of the extra carry-on I bring, but 30 minutes into the flight, I become their favorite person. “Oh hey, Mom, whatcha got in there?” Yes, this comes from both the kids and my husband. Some of my go-to in-flight snacks include cut-up fruit, veggies, mini sandwiches, crackers and cheese, homemade muffins or banana bread, and always a secret candy stash to pass the time.
Handy Travel Tip: Pack It Foldable Lunch Bag
I often bring these items in a Pack It foldable lunch bag to keep everything fresh. It’s so handy to use later at the beach to keep food or drinks cold. I love how versatile it is, making it a must-have for both air travel and vacationing.
Inspired by Family Traditions
These muffins that came with us on our trip were inspired by my sister. On a recent girls’ trip to Chicago, I got off the plane to find my sister waiting at the gate with these muffins—for me! What a treat. My sis is a wonderful mom, and although we left the kids at home, apparently she doesn’t travel without food either!
Easy and Adaptable Muffin Recipe
I hope you try these muffins—they’re very adaptable and easy to make. You can easily adjust the ingredients to suit your preferences or dietary needs:
- Swap regular flour for Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour.
- Substitute walnuts with pecans or your favorite nuts.
- Omit the coconut for a simpler flavor.
- Add in applesauce for extra moisture.
- Replace 1 cup of sugar with ⅔ cup of maple syrup for a natural sweetener.
You really can’t go wrong with these versatile muffins!
Cheers!
Christina
Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 apple unpeeled, large dice
- 1 banana large dice
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup ground flax seed
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 14.5 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup sugar
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Place raisins in a heatproof bowl and cover with water. Microwave for 3 minutes.
- In large mixing bowl, combine both flours, coconut, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Add walnuts to a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
- Add apple, banana, raisins with 4 tbsp of the soaking liquid and coconut oil to the food processor and pulse till combined.
- To the apple mixture add the eggs, flax meal, vinegar or lemon juice, pumpkin puree and sugar and pulse until combined.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. If more moisture is needed, add a splash of dairy or non-dairy milk.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Using an ice cream scoop, fill regular or mini muffin trays with batter.
- Bake mini muffins for 20 minutes and regular sized muffins for 22 minutes, or until set.