Healthy muffin recipes for breakfast

[Quiteria]

What a great topic!

[momyshaver]

This may be a strange question but here goes.. how does a recipe constitute low sugar? Less than x number of grams per serving? Most of my recipes are for large groups so it looks like a lot of sugar ..but when making 4 or 5 dozen it may be less than it looks. Any info on this topic easily available?

[jandjmommy]

Originally Posted by momyshaver

This may be a strange question but here goes.. how does a recipe constitute low sugar? Less than x number of grams per serving? Most of my recipes are for large groups so it looks like a lot of sugar ..but when making 4 or 5 dozen it may be less than it looks. Any info on this topic easily available?

1 tsp white sugar has roughly 4 grams of sugar. So one cup of sugar [48 teaspoons] has 192 grams of sugar.

Ex: If you make 1 dozen muffins with 1 cup of sugar, each muffin has 16 grams of sugar, or 4 teaspoons.

I'd consider a recipe with less than 4 grams (1tsp) of white sugar per serving to be "low sugar". I'm more relaxed about honey, maple syrup, and blackstrap molasses, so maybe twice that for those.

[charla]

[ViolaMum]

Originally Posted by jandjmommy

I was trying to make gf banana muffins once and was so distracted I forgot the sugar and the egg. Used all rice flour, plus a couple teaspoons ground flax seed.
They tasted great! simplyrecipes.com has a good general banana muffin recipe.

I think flax seed is sometimes used as a vegan sub for egg.

Since then, I purposefully make banana muffins (any type flour) without sugar or eggs and no one has noticed.

Still tons of natural sugar from the bananas, but unless the muffin is savory, it needs some sweetness.

Banana is also used as an egg substitute.

I make these an awful lot. They have some sugar in them - they are not terribly sweet - but they I suppose you could cut back more.

Breakfast Cookies
Oven: 375
Prep: 10 min
Bake: 10 min

¼ c butter/coconut oil/margarine
½ c sugar
¾ c pureed white beans
1 egg
¾ c whole wheat pastry flour
½ c oats
1/3 c wheat or oat bran
½ t baking soda
¼ t baking powder
¼ t salt
½ t cinnamon
1/8 t – ¼ t cloves
½ c raisins or dried fruit – optional

- cream butter and sugar
- add beans and egg
- mix dry ingredients together, whisk to combine
- add dry ingredients to butter mixture
- drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet
- bake 10 minutes. Or until browned.
- when cool, can be made into sandwich cookies with cream cheese or nut butter

:

[momyshaver]

I uploaded the overnight raisin bran muffin recipe to SparkPeople.
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recip...e=1845684&ff=1

I was suprised to see the nutritional information and I would like to add more fiber next time...maybe I will use whole grain flour and add nuts and/or flaxseed. And of course I will adjust the recipe accordingly so I can see how that amps the nutritional ante. Yay for awareness...but I have 4 doz. of these bran muffins to work through first.

edited version
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recip...recipe=1845752

[Housekat]

[4thekids]

This is for a scone not a muffin but I saw this on Dr. Oz yesterday and thought of you. I haven't tried it yet because all my baking stuff is already packed but thought I'd post anyways. They're vegan and gluten free. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/jenni...-walnut-scones

[ViolaMum]

Would you be interested in just a basic muffin recipe that you can tweak to your own specifications? I've got one that I don't make as is anymore, but rather the variations. If I've got leftover oatmeal, for instance, in it goes to a muffin. Same with rice, barley, etc. yesterday I turned it into pumpkin muffins with a couple of additions.


bbl with recipe . . . . .

[ViolaMum]

I'm back.

Basic Muffins

1/4 c oil
1 egg
1 c milk
1/4 - 1/2 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1 T baking powder
2 c flour
flavoring to taste

Mix wet ingredients together. Mix dry ingredients together. Combine the two, mixing as little as possible. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, depending on size of muffin.

I generally use whole wheat pastry flour, coconut oil or canola oil, organic eggs, milk, and sugar and either a liquid extract (e.g. vanilla) or powdered (e.g. cinnamon). They work just as well dairy-free or with dairy. (I like coconut milk.) You can add in 1 cup or so of leftover cooked grains (oatmeal, rice, barley, etc.), reducing the flour by 1/4 - 1/2 cup and milk a bit so that it's not too wet. Pureed beans, lentils, and other veggies make nice additions as well. I've made these with pureed squashes, green peas, and beets, too. All the baking powder means it will usually rise just fine.

Pumpkin Muffins:
use 1/2 c brown sugar in place of white
reduce milk to 3/4 c
use 1 t cinnamon, 1/4 t freshly ground nutmeg

---------- Post added at 06:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 PM ----------

And today I turned this basic recipe into apple cider baked donuts:

simmer 2 tart apples (I like gala) in 2 c apple cider, reducing to 1 c applesaucy liquid. Use in place of milk.
Add 1/4 c wheat germ, cinnamon
toss in cinnamon-sugar while still hot

Makes about 36 mini donuts

[Marrae]

I'll need to try some of those recipes soon.

Does anyone else find that with a lot of banana in the muffin the paper case sticks really badly and the muffin won't come out properly? I don't have the problem with banana bread, just muffins. Maybe you don't use paper muffin cases but do they come out of the tin ok???

[jujubnme]

If you're going to make muffins regularly, I've found the silicone muffin holders worth the investment. No stick, even when doing little crustless quiche egg muffins. Otherwise, I'd just try to grease the pan really well.

[teamommy]

I'll have to look up a few..

I tend to modify recipes that look yummy, by substituting sugar with applesauce, and then adding some ground flax seed or oat bran til the consistency is right. Whole wheat or ground oatmeal flour instead of white flour. Add a few nuts and seeds.

[ViolaMum]

Originally Posted by Marrae

I'll need to try some of those recipes soon.

Does anyone else find that with a lot of banana in the muffin the paper case sticks really badly and the muffin won't come out properly? I don't have the problem with banana bread, just muffins. Maybe you don't use paper muffin cases but do they come out of the tin ok???

Yeah, bananas are sticky! I've found that whole grain baked goods tend to stick a little more than white flour foods, especially if they are at all overbaked. I use the paper liners - they are pretty, and make taking muffins to people nicer, and just because I abhor scrubbing the muffin pans! But they are not necessary. Greasing the pan really well will suffice. If you have sticking problems, grease the pan and then flour it or use the Pam for Baking (the spray with oil and flour in it). Solid shortening works the best for me.