Date seed, oat bran and quinoa flours as elements of overall muffin quality

Muffins are desirable bakery products both for their sensorial properties and for ease to be baked with numerous ingredients. Flours of date seed (D), oat bran (O) and quinoa (Q) with different insoluble dietary fibre contents were used in this study, as substitutions to wheat flour either individually (10%, w/w) or as combinations (5% each, w/w) in muffin samples. Suggested combined usage of ingredients aimed to increase the dietary fibre content of muffins while pertaining their overall quality attributes. Total moisture, ash and protein, dietary fibre, weight loss %, volume, specific volume, weight, colour and textural parameters were tested. Results revealed that, quinoa and oat bran flour substituted samples(QO) had the highest cake volume (84.5 ml) and specific volume (2.63 ml/g). Date seed and quinoa flour substitution (DQ) was the best combination with the closest hardness values to control (muffins with 100% wheat flour) samples (0.6 N), rather than an increase. Springiness (2.40 N) and cohesiveness (0.81 mm) were also close to that of control. Samples having date seed flour and quinoa (DQ) and date seed flour and oat bran flour (DO), had also the highest fibre contents, respectively. Thus, combining different fibrous ingredients instead of using them individually efficiently prevented the muffin quality loss. The best combination achieved was the date seed flour with quinoa flour (DQ) giving promising results to achieve healthier muffin production.