Maple Banana Muffins

We bought bananas at Costco last week and weren't able to use them all before they became over ripe. Instead of throwing them away I whipped up these easy muffins that were devoured by my girls. The original recipe called for crushed pecans on top, but my daughters go to a nut free camp, so I omitted them. The muffins came out nice and moist, but not too sweet. These are perfect for breakfast or snacks. I am gearing up to make another batch for camp this week! I like to make muffins instead of banana bread because it is easier to freeze and defrost a few muffins at a time instead cutting up an entire loaf.

Maple Banana Muffins
Source: Skinnytaste
Yields: 12

Ingredients:

3 medium very ripe bananas

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners.

Mash bananas in a bowl, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and 1/4 cup maple sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, mashed bananas, maple syrup, apple sauce and vanilla; beat at medium speed until mixed well, scraping down sides of the bowl.

Add flour mixture, then blend at a low speed until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin.

Bake the muffins on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Fall is here which means everything has pumpkin in it! We are having a "cold front" in Florida so what better time than now to jump on the pumpkin bandwagon. These mini muffins are the perfect snack and even my toddler loves to take them to school for snack. The pumpkin keeps them nice and moist inside. You can make these into regular sized muffins and you should get around 14 larger muffins. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Source: Skinnytaste
Servings: 24 mini muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tbsp virgin coconut oil (or canola)
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
baking spray
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray liners with oil for easy removal.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix pumpkin puree, oil, egg whites and vanilla; beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, then blend at low speed until combined; do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tin and bake on the center rack for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Muffins

One of the things I dreamt about was being able to cook with my child. Now that day is here and my daughter loves to "help" cook. She pulled up a chair and helped put the muffin liners in the tin and mix all of the dry ingredients into the bowl. As she anxiously watched them bake in the oven, it was all I could do to let them cool down before she had to taste her hard work. They are truly kid and mother tested and approved. These are full of oatmeal to keep you full and not too sweet. They are also perfect to be frozen and defrosted on busy mornings.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Muffins
Source: Bella 
Servings: 12-14

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix the first six ingredients together in a bowl. In another bowl (or stand mixer), beat the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients until moistened.

Grease muffin pan and fill each cup till its 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick or fork inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Zucchini Muffins

Baking has been on the back burner for me lately, so I was excited to have the time to try a new recipe today. Muffins are easier to make during a hectic day since they can all go in the oven in one batch instead of spending an afternoon taking trays of cookies in and out of the oven. I was inspired by the abundance of zucchini during the summer and always love to use ingredients that are in season. It also helped that we are hosting a play date and can try out this new recipe for snack since it is a sneaky way to get toddlers or picky eaters to eat their vegetables ;) Since I made these for toddlers I did not add walnuts or raisins, but feel free to add whatever you enjoy in yours. The result was a moist muffin with cinnamon, nutmeg and zucchini flavors perfect for the whole family to enjoy!

Zucchini Muffins
Source: Simply Recipes
Yields: 12-14 muffins

Ingredients:
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch of salt
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, crushed (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:
* Grate the zucchini and then put in a strainer over a bowl to drain some of the water out so you don't have soggy muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. If using, stir in walnuts and raisins.

4. Either coat each muffin cup with spray or muffin liners. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the dough among the cups, filling the cups up completely.

5. Bake on the middle rack about 25-30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and the tops bounce back when you press on them. Test with a toothpick to make sure the center or the muffin is done. Set on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and let cool another 20 minutes.

Super Soft Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

These days cooking seems to be a thing of the past or at least not trying any new recipes. This past weekend I was able to take a few minutes to whip up these whole wheat muffins for breakfast/snacks for the week. I added a Tablespoon of chia seeds for extra protein, fiber and omega 3s. They are very moist and not a strong pumpkin flavor so are perfect all year round.

Super Soft Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Source: The Comfort of Cooking

Yields: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. allspice)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (two 4-oz. cups)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add eggs, pumpkin, applesauce and oil. Mix just until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Fill muffin cups to the top with batter. Sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts.*

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan before removing from cups.

TIPS:

You can also add the chopped nuts into the batter after mixing all other ingredients, instead of sprinkling on top.

Calories: 184 | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 20g | Protein: 3g | Sugar: 7g

Oh, Baby! Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Knowing how much I usually enjoy cooking, my sweet father-in-law bought me a book Pregnancy Cooking & Nutrition for Dummies. It mainly has healthy eating recipes with some interesting notes about ingredients that are better to have during pregnancy to help promote growth for various aspects of the baby throughout pregnancy. These muffins were a great morning snack and not too sweet. The bananas keep them nice and moist with hint of sweetness from chocolate chips. They are a great source of fiber, folate, iron, and potassium and can be enjoyed even if you aren't pregnant!

Oh, Baby! Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Source: Pregnancy Cooking & Nutrition for Dummies
Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground flaxseed
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
¾ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons canola oil
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with liners or non-stick spray

In a large bowl, sift together the all purpose and whole wheat flours, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and stir in the mashed bananas. Add the sugar and oil and stir the mixture with a spoon to blend well.

Add the egg and banana mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients. Stir the mixture until combined well. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffin tops are browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool then enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Happy Friday!! You survived another work week and can now enjoy the weekend. I hope you have some fun holiday plans for the weekend, whether it be holiday shopping or a party! 

I am trying to break a habit of purchasing muffins or breads from coffee shops like Starbucks and Panera. Besides the fact that they are a rip off and most likely not that good for you, I can make something even better tasting and healthier at home. I have a bit more time now and am trying to bake what I can and freeze them in ready to go bags to prevent a last minute stop/purchase out of hunger. My latest batch were seasonal pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Anything with pumpkin is good in my book and helps to keep the muffins nice and moist. I love the mini chocolate chips because they distribute better in the muffin and don't overpower it with chocolate flavor. By using whole wheat flour you get in a bit more fiber, but I want to try using some applesauce instead of oil to make them even better for you.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yields: 26

Source: eMeals

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 

1 ½ cups sugar 

2 tsp baking soda 

1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
15 oz can pumpkin puree
½ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all dry ingredients.

2. Combine oil, eggs and pumpkin in a separate bowl.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture stirring until just moist. Stir in chocolate chips if using.

4. Scoop batter into 28 muffin cups coated with cooking spray or lined with paper liners. You can use a cookie or ice cream scoop to evenly distribute. 

5. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

Nutrition Information (per muffin): Calories: 180, Total Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 140mg, Total Carbohydrates: 28g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 17g, Protein: 3g

Pumpkin Nut Muffins

Living in Florida it is hard to have it feel like fall, especially since we are still wearing shorts. There was a "cold front" and I use the term extremely loosely, so we could at least open our windows and cool down a bit. I took full advantage and tried to pretend it was fall. And what better way to do that than through food?! To me fall flavors are apples, pears and pumpkin, and this recipe was a healthy spin on a pumpkin muffin. When I was mixing all of the ingredients together it smelled just like pumpkin pie and reminded me of the holidays. The pecans add a little crunch to the muffins. Be sure to spray the muffin liners, I was hesitant and the muffins got a bit stuck to the paper :( Otherwise, these are a great healthy fall treat that you can eat on the go or relaxing with your morning coffee or tea.

Pumpkin Nut Muffins
Source: Skinnytaste
Serves: 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour 3/4 cup raw sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
baking spray
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray liners with oil for easy removal.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix pumpkin puree, oil, egg whites and vanilla; beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, then blend at low speed until combined; do not over mix. Fold in chopped nuts.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tin and bake on the center rack for 24 - 26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let them cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Makes 12 muffins.

Mini Corn Bread Muffins

I love mini muffins, cupcakes, anything really, if not for them being adorable then for the fact that you can eat more of them! I received mini muffin tins over the holidays and finally used them. This is a basic corn bread muffin recipe that I turned into minis but can also be made as a bread or regular muffins by simply adjusting the cooking time. These are great for breakfast, snacks or in our case they were a side dish with ribs or bbq (recipe coming soon). Especially great for a weekend breakfast since they can be prepared so quickly!

Mini Corn Bread Muffins
Source: Betty Crocker
Yields: 3 dozen mini muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup milk (I used skim milk)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups yellow or white cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 400F. Grease muffin tin, or use liners.

In a large bowl, beat milk, butter and egg with hand beater or wire whisk. Stir in remaining ingredients all at once until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Do not over mix. I used 1 Tablespoon of batter per mini muffin.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out of the center clean. If you want to make regular muffins cook for 20 minutes.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

I bought a huge container of blueberries at Costco this weekend and have barely made a dent in them. I can only eat so many in cereal and yogurt. This is a healthier version of blueberry muffins that was a great way to use up some of my blueberries. And the muffins are low in calories and fat, high in fiber and pretty good for you! The applesauce is a great substitute for most of the fat and still gives you a very moist muffin. I also like to make muffins because they make one batch in the oven and I can store them in the freezer to take out for breakfast or snacks during the week. They definitely last longer than my splurge purchase of blueberries.

Low Fat Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups 100% whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries (about 6.5 oz)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp melted butter or margarine

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, mix eggs, melted butter, vanilla and applesauce. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.  Gently fold in blueberries to avoid squishing them.

Pour batter into 12 lined muffin tins and bake at 325° for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 muffin • Calories: 147.3 • Fat: 2.7 g • Protein: 2.7 g • Carb: 28.5 g • Fiber: 3.4 g • Sugar: 12.3 g 

Cranberry Orange Muffins

I made some pumpkin cranberry bread around the holidays and had some whole fresh cranberries left over with no idea what to make with them. Turns out we had a perfect Sunday morning breakfast that can be eaten the rest of the week as breakfast on the go or a snack, they would even freeze well if you want to make ahead for company during the holidays. The orange juice and zest in this recipe bring a bright and fresh flavor to the muffins. By using corn meal with the flour it gives the muffin some texture without being completely a corn muffin, definitely something I will have to try with other recipes.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Source: Soft & Stiff Peaks

yields 10 muffins

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

1 egg

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup flour

1/2 cup corn meal

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup whole cranberries, rinsed

1 tsp. orange zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the cups with cupcake liners.

Mix the wet ingredients (oil, egg, and juice) together in a large bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, corn meal, baking powder, sugar, salt, cranberries, and zest) in a second bowl. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. It's okay if there are some remaining lumps. Spoon batter into the muffin cups, making sure that all cups are equally filled. Do not fill them all the way but half to 3/4 full so they don't over flow.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Apple Pie Muffins

We moved into our new house this weekend which was exciting and exhausting all at the same time. Our boxes are still not fully unpacked but most things are put away or the box is cut open on the floor.  I had pulled this recipe and bought the ingredients before moving but when I turned my back, everything was packed up. While my baking box is not unpacked yet, I was able to pull out my muffin tins and found some cute paper muffin liners on clearance at Target so I could whip up some muffins for breakfast.

As I have mentioned, I love apples and since you don't get a sense of fall down here this sounded like a great fall recipe that could also be used throughout the year. This might be one of the few recipes I have made that looked like the pictures and even like the muffins you buy at the bakery! I was really impressed with how they turned out with the crumble/streusel topping and soft chunks of apples and moist muffin. It was fun to be able to use our new oven and make the kitchen smell delicious. Now I just have to be careful not to eat them all!

Apple Pie Muffins

Source: My Baking Addiction

Makes 12-16 muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2  Granny Smith Apples, peeled, chopped

Topping:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved.

3. Pour butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in apples. Use a large scoop to fill each muffin well, filling the cups to the top.

4. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, rolled oats, and cinnamon. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of melted butter, mixing until well blended. Sprinkle this over the tops of the muffins.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

6. Cool on wire rack. Store at room temperature or freeze.

Notes:
- If you choose to finely dice your apples, take not that they will disappear into the muffin. I left my pieces a little bigger to ensure nice bites of soft apple goodness.

Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins

I had some left over blueberries that I wanted to use up before they went bad. I looked on some of my usual blogs for ideas for a new and healthy recipe. I have been trying to use applesauce instead of oil to eliminate some fat in recipes so this one seemed like a perfect fit, plus I already had all of the ingredients except buttermilk in the house. Usually I prefer buttermilk was was too lazy to venture to the store for some. I found online a way to substitute regular milk for buttermilk. Take the 1/2 cup of regular milk (in this case I used skim milk) and add 1/2 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to it. Stir together and let it sit for 2 minutes until the milk becomes acidic and curdled. I did this before starting the recipe so that it could sit while  I measured everything out and came to the wet ingredients.

I really enjoyed the hearty texture and flavor the oatmeal gave the muffins and yet somehow it was not a heavy or dense muffin. Despite being low fat and whole grain they are extremely moist and flavorful with a hearty texture.

Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins
Yield: 12-14 muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In another bowl combine the applesauce, buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and egg.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the applesauce mixture.  Stir together just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.  Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups until 2/3 full. Note that the batter is on the thicker side. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop it out. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Source: Annie's Eats

Nutritional Information: (Calculated on Sparkpeople)

Calories: 128; Total Fat: 3.2g; Cholesterol: 13.6mg; Sodium: 140mg; Total Carbohydrates: 26g; Fiber: 2.5g; Sugars: 12g; Protein: 3g